Category: Avionics

When Magnetic Engines opened its doors on October 5, 2015, the workshop measured just 100 square meters. There was no ribbon-cutting, only benches and tools. Ten years later, that conviction has driven the business to a 1,300-sqm facility, more than 319 client engagement events, and 67 customers served by early 2025, with the same philosophy still at its core.

“We didn’t chase scale, we chased standards,“ said Risto Mäeots, CEO of Magnetic Group. “From the very beginning, Magnetic Engines built its reputation on precision and predictability. Growth was the consequence, not the goal.“

The team’s first client inspections took place just days after launch, two CFM56-7B engines in Ponta Delgada, Portugal.Through 2016, the shop focused on its own engines, refining procedures before opening to external clients in 2017.

By 2020, heavier repairs and combustion chamber replacements were routine; by 2023, the first Core Performance Restoration (CFM56-3) validated the team’s control over the most complex modules. “Every milestone came from the same loop — learn, validate, scale,“ explained Filip Stanisic, managing director of Magnetic Engines. “Our first heavy repair in 2020 proved we could deliver under pressure. Later, DAC to SAC conversion work in 2024 showed we weren’t just adding volume — we were adding depth.“

StandardAero recognized Joe “Ski“ Suszczynski, training manager at its Dallas-Fort Worth Service Center, as a recipient of the FAA Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award. His journey began at age 14 at Aviation High School in Queens, New York, a public, FAA-accredited program. “It’s in your DNA,“ Suszczynski shared. “Aviation has been in my DNA since I was 14. If you don’t love it, it’s work.“

After four and a half years of classroom training and hands-on shop time — including maintaining the school’s own aircraft — he graduated with both his diploma and his FAA certification at just 17 years old. He returned for six additional months of extended training to obtain his Powerplant certificate.

Suszczynski went on to serve 21 years in the United States Air Force as a jet engine technician. He later transitioned to civil aviation roles at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, eventually joining Raytheon as a site supervisor where he was responsible for hiring and developing a team of more than 50 technicians. During his Air Force career, he also taught Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) students as an adjunct instructor with Embry-Riddle in Germany.

Suszczynski joined StandardAero in 1999, continuing in a similar role, bringing his leadership, technical knowledge and growth mindset.

In 2022, Suszczynski transferred to StandardAero’s DFW facility to lead training initiatives, a natural fit given his long history of developing emerging aviation talent. “What really excites me is when I’m training somebody,“ he said. “Whether it’s one, five, or ten years later, you see them grow and expand — and then they come back to tell you how much it meant to learn to do things the correct way.“

Suszczynski said his leadership philosophy centers on integrity, clarity, and accountability. His personal motto — “Do what’s right when nobody is looking“ — guides how he works, teaches and leads. As he puts it, “Do my actions mimic what I say? Do I walk the walk?“ Whether he is delivering technical instruction, reinforcing safety practices, or picking up FOD on the shop floor, Suszczynski led by example.

“Aviation has helped me get to where I am today,“ he shared. “It’s given me financial security, and it’s also taken sweat and tears. But the greatest reward is passing the baton on to others and watching them grow.“

Collins Aerospace, and the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force (RNLASF) have signed a contract to build a new military avionics service center in the Netherlands to support European F-35 and CH-47F fleets.

Under the multi-decade government-owned, contractor-operated partnership, Collins will bring repair expertise and depot technology for the F-35 and the CH-47F. They will also manage the repair supply chain as part of its global military services network.

“Bringing our avionics repair capabilities to the RNLASF Air Support Command (ASC) military base will create substantial operational, logistical and sustainment improvement for our European customers,“ said Brian Barta, vice president and general manager for avionics aftermarket services and support in Avionics at Collins Aerospace. “This new center will complement Pratt & Whitney’s already established F135 engine depot at the ASC, further expanding RTX’s presence in the Netherlands.“

The new center will also complement Collins’ F-35 pilot readiness center in Soesterberg, the Netherlands, establishing a full regional lifecycle sustainment solution for customers in Europe. Additionally, the repair capability will support Collins’ performance based contract with RNLASF to ensure the readiness of the Dutch CH 47F fleet.

“In an increasingly contested logistics environment, ‘Fight tonight, Fight tomorrow, Fight together,’ means positioning the RNLASF for the highest possible mission readiness,“ said Lieutenant General André ‘Jabba’ Steur of the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force. “As we transition to modernized and increasingly complex weapon systems, we will require preparing for the necessary support, infrastructure and maintenance at our military depot facilities. Collaborating with trusted OEMs like Collins Aerospace has proven to be very valuable to our overall mission readiness.“

“Together with Collins Aerospace we will be increasing skills and advancing technical knowhow, in the Netherlands,“ said Secretary of Defense Gijs Tuinman. “This partnership is an example of a strategic collaboration that supports our defense and technological base as we continue to contribute to NATO and its partners.“

Initial depot capability for Collins Aerospace’s avionics military service center is expected in 2026.

Airbus recently closed a transaction with Spirit AeroSystems for the acquisition of industrial assets dedicated to its commercial aircraft programs.

“This milestone marks a special moment for all of us at Airbus. We are proud to welcome over 4,000 new colleagues, with whom we will embark on a new chapter in our industrial operations by taking on activities of critical importance to our commercial aircraft programs,“ said Florent Massou, executive vice president operations for the commercial aircraft business of Airbus.

Airbus has taken ownership of the following former Spirit AeroSystems assets:

• the site of Kinston, North Carolina, U.S. (A350 fuselage sections), joining as Airbus Aerosystems Kinston.
• the site of Saint-Nazaire, France (A350 fuselage sections), joining as Airbus Atlantic Cadréan.
• the site of Casablanca, Morocco (A321 and A220 components), joining as Airbus Atlantic Maroc Aero.
• the production of A220 wings and A220 mid-fuselage in Belfast, Northern Ireland, becoming Airbus Belfast.
• the production of wing components for A320 and A350 in Prestwick, Scotland, becoming an affiliate named Prestwick Aerosystems.
• the production of A220 pylons, which will be transferred out of Wichita, Kansas, U.S., to the site of Saint-Eloi, Toulouse, France.

Airbus receives compensation of $439 million, with the typical purchase price adjustments and subject to customary post-closing review. In addition, Airbus receives certain amounts to settle liabilities under the provision of the purchase agreements.

AAR has signed a multi-year extension of its exclusive global distribution agreement with Collins Aerospace. The agreement includes the company’s Goodrich de-icing and specialty systems product line.

The collaboration supports Collins Aerospace’s strategy to streamline aftermarket distribution by leveraging AAR’s global logistics network to serve customers across the general aviation, commercial, and defense markets.

“AAR is proud to continue delivering availability, responsiveness, and technical support to the wide range of customers who rely on Collins Aerospace Goodrich de-icing solutions,“ said Frank Landrio, AAR’s senior vice president of distribution. “Our execution and ability to gain market share have resulted in tremendous growth of this product line.“

Wizz Air and Aeroplex have signed a new long-term agreement to continue the airline’s line maintenance support in Budapest. Under the 3+2-year contract, Aeroplex will provide ongoing line maintenance services for the Wizz Air fleet based at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport until February 2031.

Aeroplex’s dedicated team delivers daytime technical support and performs nightly inspections up to high-level maintenance tasks to ensure aircraft readiness for early-morning departures. From December 2025, twenty Wizz Air aircraft will be based in Budapest, requiring continuous and coordinated maintenance operations.

In addition to line maintenance, Aeroplex will continue providing material and component logistics support for the airline’s full European fleet. The renewed agreement gives both companies a stable operational framework while allowing room for further cooperation as fleet size and operational needs grow.

“We are pleased to announce the extension of our contract with Aeroplex, our trusted long-term maintenance partner in Budapest,“ said Julia Brix, supply chain officer at Wizz Air. “We greatly value the team’s professionalism in providing technical support and inspections, and we look forward to continuing our successful collaboration in the years ahead.“

Árpád Demény, CEO of Aeroplex added: “We are proud to remain Wizz Air’s maintenance partner in Budapest. This renewed agreement reinforces our commitment to providing reliable technical support for the airline’s daily operations, and we are prepared to expand our cooperation.“