The global MRO industry is expected to grow to a $1 trillion business over the period 2022-2031. AFP
The global MRO industry is expected to grow to a $1 trillion business over the period 2022-2031. AFP
The global MRO industry is expected to grow to a $1 trillion business over the period 2022-2031. AFP
The global MRO industry is expected to grow to a $1 trillion business over the period 2022-2031. AFP

MRO providers need to forge alliances as supply chain issues persist, executive says


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Aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul providers (MROs) need to forge alliances to create synergies amid global supply chain disruptions, according to a Saudi Aerospace Engineering Industries (SAEI) executive.

The airline industry is in the middle of a post-pandemic rebound, but supply chain bottlenecks have left aircraft manufacturers scrambling for raw materials and components.

“For many years, airlines have had alliances and codeshares, but MROs in the region and globally have competed with each other for way too long,” Majed Sabbagh, vice president of shared services at SAEI, said at the Middle East and North Africa Business Aviation Association (Mebaa) show in Dubai on Wednesday.

“It's time to co-operate … it's time to complement each other rather than competing.”

The global MRO industry is expected to grow to a $1 trillion business over the 2022-2031 period, according to Aviation Week Network.

Meanwhile, engine MRO demand will grow at 3.7 per cent, which will boost the market size to $474 billion over the next decade.

Specifically, the Middle East demand for MRO services will grow to $12.9 billion by 2031.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Covid-19 lockdowns in China have worsened global supply chain problems.

“Many original equipment manufacturers and operators have been pressuring tier one suppliers to enhance and increase the stock where they're staying,” Mr Sabbagh said.

“We're seeing more localisation and domestic onshoring.”

Supply bottlenecks have also affected corporate plane makers as the pandemic led to an unexpected surge in business.

A record for global business jet demand was set in the first half of this year and although the rebound is slowing, the gains on 2019 have held steady at about 20 per cent, according to a report by data research and consulting company WingX Advance.

“We are still impacted by bottlenecks in logistics, whether it is sourcing parts, new technology or equipment,” said Fahad Al Jarboa, chief executive of Saudia Private Aviation (SPA).

“There are bottlenecks in chip making and if China doesn’t recover soon from Covid and open up for business, that’ll be a challenge too,” Mr Al Jarboa said.

SAEI and SPA are subsidiaries of Saudia Group, the kingdom’s flagship airline.

In October, Saudia signed an initial agreement with German air taxi developer Lilium to buy 100 of its aircraft to serve its domestic network.

Lilium’s electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles could ferry passengers onward to Mecca or AlUla from the regional air hub of Jeddah, Mr Al Jarboa said.

“It’s an interest proposition … it’s just a question of whether it can be economically feasible, given the number, capacity, the technology and the routing,” he said.

The kingdom's Saudi Aviation Strategy calls for tripling annual passenger traffic to 330 million by 2030, boosting the number of destinations to 250 from 99 at present and establishing a new flag carrier. This strategy is backed by $100 billion in investments from the government and private sector.

Saudi Arabia's push to develop its air transport sector is part of the Vision 2030 plan aimed at diversifying its economy away from oil.

World Cup final

Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region

'The worst thing you can eat'

Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.

Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines: 

Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.

Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.

Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.

Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.

Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

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F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Worse than a prison sentence'

Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.

“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.

“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.

“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.

“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.

“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”

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Stamp duty timeline

December 2014: Former UK finance minister George Osbourne reforms stamp duty, replacing the slab system with a blended rate scheme, with the top rate increasing to 12 per cent from 10 per cent:
Up to £125,000 - 0%; £125,000 to £250,000 – 2%; £250,000 to £925,000 – 5%; £925,000 to £1.5m: 10%; Over £1.5m – 12%

April 2016: New 3% surcharge applied to any buy-to-let properties or additional homes purchased.

July 2020: Rishi Sunak unveils SDLT holiday, with no tax to pay on the first £500,000, with buyers saving up to £15,000.

March 2021: Mr Sunak decides the fate of SDLT holiday at his March 3 budget, with expectations he will extend the perk unti June.

April 2021: 2% SDLT surcharge added to property transactions made by overseas buyers.

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Updated: May 30, 2023, 8:07 AM`