Nowadays, even before this global breakdown in FEB-APR 2020 each and every small airline was trying its best to minimize monthly budgets and choose the most cost effective solutions for their operations. Now budget cut is priority #1 of all market aviation players.

You might know that to train and get experienced high level engineer it may take you a couple of years and sometimes almost a decade. Another thing is that when this engineer is trained and highly qualified he might have a desire to shift to another bigger airline or to open his own business. Considering this we see such a big advantage of Subcontracting your tasks to an experienced companies with an engineering teams especially focused on some specific aviation tasks. This may help you to optimize your salary roster, minimize training budget and always have a back up team to support you 24/7 around the globe.

If we get back to COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 1321/2014 of 26 November 2014 we may segregate the following possibilities for Commercial Air Transport CAMO for subcontracting their tasks.

As per article M.A.711 Privileges of the organisation, M.A.711(a)(3) CAMO may arrange to carry out limited continuing airworthiness tasks with any contracted organisation, working under its quality system, as listed on the approval certificate. AMC M.A.711(a)(3) gives us more detailed clarification on the continuing airworthines tasks we may subcontract and how CAMO shall arrange supervision over subcontractor.

When CAMO subcontracts certain continuing airworthiness management tasks to qualified persons or organisations we have the following critical points to focus at:

• the subcontracted organisation performs the continuing airworthiness management tasks as an integral part of the CAMO’s continuing airworthiness management system, irrespective of any other approval held by the subcontracted organisation (including CAMO or Part-145 approval).
• the CAMO remains accountable for the satisfactory completion of the continuing airworthiness management tasks irrespective of any contract that may be established.
• in order to fulfil this responsibility, the CAMO should be satisfied that the actions taken by the subcontracted organisation meet the standards required by Subpart G.
• the CAMO management of such activities should be accomplished by active control through direct involvement, and/or by endorsing the recommendations made by the subcontracted person or organisation.

As our team provides full support for CFM 56 engines we would like to share with you our experience we have in supporting our partners on continuing airworthiness tasks for engines:

Scheduled maintenance
We are doing planing of shop visits or inspections or hospital visits in accordance with the approved maintenance programme, TC holder recomendations, LLP status and engine conditions.

Typically we support on:

Development of engine workscope and engine repair management supervision

• Modular repair workscope or PR or partial PR workscope development;
• QEC/Bare engine components side shop visits;
• AD/SBs and modifications to be incorporated;

Engine health and condition monitoring

For engine CFM56 (-3;-5):

Trend-tabular report TKTRND — Takeoff trend report, (EGT Margin, OATL, N2 Margin).

Trend-tabular report CRTRND — Cruise trend report, (Delta EGT, Delta FF, Delta N2, N1 Vib, N2 Vib, Maintenance actions)

For engine V2500 (-A1; -A5):

Trend-tabular report for the period of 30 days, ECM SHORT TERM TREND PLOT (Delta EGT, Delta FF, Delta N1, Delta N2, T/O EGTM)

Extended trend-tabular report for a period of 30 days, including data without smoothing Short Term Trend Plot (N1 Vib, N2 Vib, Delta EGT, Delta FF, Delta N1, Delta N2, T/O EGTM)

Short Term Trend Plot (N1 Vib, N2 Vib, Delta EGT, Delta FF, Delta N1, Delta N2, T/O EGTM)

Long-term trend-tabular report LONG TERM TREND PLOT REPORT (N1 Vib, N2 Vib, Delta EGT, Delta FF, Delta N1, Delta N2, T/O EGTM, Maintenance actions)

In my own opinion Subcontracting is well developed in EU and US regions but underestimated in the ME, Africa and CIS. But I am pretty sure that global breakdown this year will push small airlines to use this option more often and optimize their maintenance planning and cost effectiveness.

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