Category: Commercial

Heston Materials is expanding its business by adding Engines Division and appointing Semih Ozdemir into the Head of Engines role. 

The newly established Engines Division strengthens the company’s position in the aviation aftermarket, enhancing its ability to fully monetize mid-life narrow body aviation assets, and offer end-to-end solutions to its customers.

With a decade of experience in powerplant and engineering leadership roles, Semih Ozdemir brings a wealth of practical know-how to Heston Materials. His track record of delivering reliable, performance-driven results aligns well with Heston Materials business ethos.

“Adding engines division to Heston Materials scope of activities is an organic step in our growth journey,” said Kestutis Volungevicius, CEO of Heston Materials. “Running a successful airframe components trading business has given us a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the post-Covid aviation aftermarket. Our experience, creativity, agility, and highly motivated team will bring fresh energy to the engines aftermarket industry.”

Under Ozdemir’s leadership, the Engines Division will initially focus on CFM56-5B/7B and V2500 Engines, delivering comprehensive engine solutions, including:

​•​Engine Teardown Projects

​•​Build-Up Projects

​•​Module Swaps

​•​Light Repairs (Top Cases, LLP Changes, PVSV, Surgical Strike, QT/AD, etc.)

​•​Short-Term Leases + Teardown

These specialized services aim to maximize economic value from CEO generation mid-life and end of life engines, the company says.

“The engines world is dynamic and ever-evolving, shifting its direction each year for every engine type. I’m excited to join Heston Materials – the synergy of technical and commercial expertise will create a broad spectrum of opportunities.” Ozdemir says. “Our goal is to build a strong market player with adaptability, innovative thinking, and multi-dimensional solutions.”

This expansion marks a new chapter at Heston Materials, a critical step towards its vision of joining the ranks of the top tier global aviation components companies.

AAR CORP. announced it has been certified by Great Place To Work. The prestigious award is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience. At AAR, 72% of employees said it’s a great place to work — 15 points higher than the average U.S. company.

Great Place To Work is the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience, and the leadership behaviors proven to deliver market-leading revenue, employee retention, and increased innovation.

“Great Place To Work Certification is a highly coveted achievement that requires consistent and intentional dedication to the overall employee experience,” says Sarah Lewis-Kulin, vice president of global recognition at Great Place To Work. She emphasizes that certification is the sole official recognition earned by the real-time feedback of employees regarding their company culture. “By successfully earning this recognition, it is evident that AAR stands out as one of the top companies to work for, providing a great workplace environment for its employees.”

“The Great Place To Work survey provides valuable insight into our team’s perspectives. We ensure our people are at the center of AAR, so it was gratifying to receive the feedback that an overwhelming number of our team members take immense pride in our shared accomplishments,” said John M. Holmes, AAR’s chairman, president and CEO. “We are honored to be Certified as a Great Place To Work, and we are committed to building an even stronger AAR for the future.”

FL Technics is expanding its global footprint by establishing a new aircraft maintenance hangar facility in the Dominican Republic. The facility nears completion construction, with FL Technics having already secured key specialists and actively recruiting the remaining team. Additionally, the certification process with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Instituto Dominicano De Aviación Civil (IDAC) is currently underway.

Located in Punta Canta, the site will open in October 2025 and will allow FL Technics to heavy maintenance operations in the Americas through a 52,000-square-meter complex, delivering base maintenance for Airbus A320 and Boeing B737 family aircraft.

“This marks our first hangar maintenance presence in the Americas, building on existing regional parts trading operations and our line maintenance network in Canada,” said Zilvinas Lapinskas, CEO of FL Technics. “Its decisive investment aimed at delivering comprehensive aircraft maintenance solutions while fostering long-term partnerships with regional carriers.”

FL Technics will roll-out of the new state-of-the-art aviation maintenance hub in three strategic phases. Phase one of the project will introduce a 20,000-square-meter hangar, featuring 5 maintenance bays and an integrated series of support workshops with sheet metal, composite, paint, and interior capabilities. 50% of the hangar facility’s construction has already been completed.

Phase two of the project will see the facility expand to 12 maintenance bays, positioning Punta Cana as a strategic MRO hub for airlines operating in the region. The third and final phase will grow the facility to 20 maintenance bays. Juozas Lapeika, Deputy CEO for Base Maintenance, commented, “The new facility in Punta Cana represents a significant milestone in FL Technics’ expansion, bringing our aircraft repair and overhaul expertise closer to operators in the Americas. With FAA and IDAC certifications underway, we are well-equipped to provide high-quality aircraft maintenance support, ensuring fleet reliability and operational efficiency.”

True Blue Power introduced the company’s newest USB charger during the New Product Introductions at the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) International Convention and Trade Show in Phoenix, Arizona. New TA245 Series USB chargers feature a compact footprint and an input voltage of 12 – 32 VDC, delivering the versatility required across all GA, BA and commercial aircraft.

TA245 Series charging ports are available in five configurations, including single and dual USB-C (45 W), and USB-A (36 W), with adjustable halo ring lighting. The TA245 provides reliable convenience power to smartphones, tablets, electronic flight bags (EFB), and laptop computers. Its ultra-compact design measures 1.5 inches wide and 1.25 inches deep. This ensures easy installation in tight spaces, including in-seat, cabin, cockpit and galley applications.

“With the introduction of 45-watt charging ports, we now offer USB chargers for any aircraft with a 14-volt or 28-volt electrical bus. The available range of power is unmatched and spans 15 to 100 watts per port,” said Van Winter, senior vice president of sales and marketing for True Blue Power. “Customers have been asking for more power on lower voltage aircraft for years, and we’re proud to offer this upgrade.”

SR Technics announced the renewal of its contract with Allegiant Air, a U. S.-based low-cost airline, for the next five years. Under the terms of the new agreement, SR Technics will continue to provide heavy shop visit support for Allegiant’s fleet of CFM56-5B engines.

The airline, headquartered in Las Vegas, currently operates a fleet of over 120 A319/A320 aircraft and is further expanding its fleet with Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. As a rapidly growing airline, Allegiant has relied on SR Technics’ proven expertise and high-quality services to support its expanding operations since 2019.

“We are delighted to extend our long-standing partnership with Allegiant Air,” said Owen McClave, CEO of SR Technics. “This contract renewal underscores the trust and satisfaction Allegiant has in our ability to deliver industry-leading engine maintenance services since 2019. We are excited to continue supporting its growth and success in the competitive U.S. aviation market.”

The renewal follows the successful execution of SR Technics’ previous contract, during which the company completed numerous shop visits and engine services for Allegiant’s fleet. The new agreement, effective immediately, includes ongoing maintenance for Allegiant’s CFM56-5B engines, ensuring the continued performance and reliability of the airline’s growing fleet for the next five years.

“We are excited to continue our partnership with SR Technics,” said Asad Shaikh, vice president, fleet and corporate finance of Allegiant Air. “This agreement reinforces our commitment to safety, reliability, and operational excellence. Allegiant is thrilled to build on the foundation of this successful partnership to ensure the highest standards are met for our fleet.”

MTU Maintenance celebrated the official opening of MTU Maintenance Zhuhai Jinwan branch in mid-March. This additional site is a branch of MTU Maintenance Zhuhai, a joint venture between MTU Aero Engines and China Southern Airlines. It will focus on Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-JM engines and have a yearly capacity of up to 260 engine shop visits annually once ramped up. Combined with its main site, MTU Maintenance Zhuhai, which lies just 20 kilometers away, it aims to be the largest maintenance repair and overhaul facility in the world, with a capacity of over 700 shop visits.

“We are delighted to be celebrating the entry into service of MTU Maintenance Zhuhai Jinwan branch,” says Zeng Yongchao, vice general manager of China Southern Airlines Group. “With the coordinated layout of two factories, MTU Maintenance Zhuhai has established core advantages to seize the opportunity of strong growth in the global engine MRO market in the coming years.”

“This opening is the next step in MTU Maintenance’s incredible growth story and cements our position as leading MRO provider for narrowbody engines in the Asian region,” adds Lars Wagner, CEO, MTU Aero Engines. “We made this timely investment in our network to increase capacity and provide the best possible service to our customers. We look forward to supporting the GTF network as the in-service fleet continues to grow.”

After the test cell entered operations in 2023, the new shop buildings were built in only 18 months. The site now has over 30,000 square meters of additional, state-of-the-art facilities, including cleaning, non-destructive testing, inspection and repair areas as well as engine and module assembly and disassembly lines.

Jinwan branch will operate under MTU Maintenance Zhuhai’s management and authorizations, enter operations with an initial staff of around 280 employees and grow to around 600 engine experts, once fully ramped up. “This construction was the result of great teamwork, international collaboration and the dedication of our employees,” says Gert Wagner, CEO and president, MTU Maintenance Zhuhai. “Thank you to the entire MTU team for your support, as well as our employees’ flexibility during construction. We greatly appreciate your continued dedication as we ramp up.”

Merlin has received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Technical Standard Order (TSO) authorization for its custom remote data concentrator (RDC), developed in collaboration with Shadin Avionics. This FAA approval supports Merlin’s ability to create certified advanced automation for an aircraft platform and marks a significant milestone in the ongoing flight test campaign of its certification-ready autonomy platform.

Designed to support the Merlin Pilot’s advanced automation capabilities, the RDC ingests analog data from existing and new aircraft sensors, converts it to a digital format, and transmits it to Merlin’s flight control computers. Merlin collaborated closely with Shadin Avionics to define the system, hardware, and design specifications. Receiving the FAA’s TSO authorization confirms that Merlin’s custom RDC meets rigorous airworthiness standards for both civil and military aviation applications, and once certified, is adaptable for various aircraft types and classes, including the C-130J and the KC-135.

“Our team is meeting technical milestones regularly, which significantly advances the Merlin Pilot towards certification while enhancing aviation safety and efficiency,” said Matt George, CEO and founder of Merlin. “The FAA’s authorization of our RDC is a major achievement in our Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) program, reinforcing the strength of our collaboration with Shadin Avionics and our commitment to the highest aviation standards. This approval is a critical step towards integrating safe and reliable autonomy into both civil and military airspace.”