Whether your FBO offers light maintenance, operates an MRO as a full-fledged division of your FBO, or you operate a standalone Part 145 Repair Station, FBO Partners has unmatched in-house expertise.

All too often, FBOs provide maintenance as a requirement of their airport’s FBO lease covenant, or to maintain the FBO’s aircraft charter and management fleet. In both cases, such an arrangement can have the unintended consequence of creating a maintenance department that acts in a supporting role, as opposed to one that is a fully-realized, profitable business unit unto itself. Certainly this was not the plan for the maintenance department when the doors were opened. Perhaps your MRO is brimming with young talent, eager but unable to implement best practices and process improvement, simply due to a lack of management expertise or mentorship.

To be sure, the “graying” of the MRO industry is a very real threat to the business; the average age of an FAA licensed mechanic is 51, with some 27% age 64 and above, according to a 2017 study by the Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC). The shortage of technicians, arguably worse that the shortage of crewmembers, is impacting every single MRO in the country. In another study by Boeing, the commercial airlines alone will require almost 120,000 new technicians in the next 20 years. Compensation, liability, and working conditions are all factors where the demand for maintenance has outstripped the supply of available technicians- and their leaders are retiring in droves.

While a traditional answer is to recruit progressively more experienced candidates at ever-increasing wages due to a talent shortage, there is an alternative, and more cost-effective solution: FBO Partners. Be it business analysis and recommendations for profitability, mentorship of a young maintenance team, the implementation of best practices and process improvement, or marketing and sales to fill your MRO’s hangar, FBO Partners has the experience to seamlessly integrate solutions into your maintenance operation and light the path ahead.

For many FBOs, the Part 145 certification process is a daunting undertaking. Regulatory knowledge and limited bandwidth of the day-to-day operation of the MRO can conspire to prevent FBOs from making the choice to gain the certification and in turn, grow their business. Certification is important for growth: A Part 145 repair station sends a clear message to customers that your MRO prioritizes safety and regulatory compliance. FBO Partners brings regulatory knowledge that can support any FBO looking to take the next step, and move from overnight A&P maintenance to a full-service Part 145 operation.

During the certification process, we’ll partner with you and your local FSDO. As described in 14 CFR Part 145, that process ensures programs, systems and intended methods of compliance are thoroughly reviewed, evaluated and tested. This does not have to be a heavy-handed process that removes flexibility, but rather an opportunity to standardize your operation and set it on a path for future growth.

Contact Us to learn more about Part 145 Certification and Compliance.

FBO Partners has the expertise required to implement industry best practices to improve your MRO’s operation. We identify and eliminate heavy legacy processes, bringing your MRO into a mobile, paperless environment that provides you real-time knowledge and oversight of your business. Though each operation is unique and requires a different solution set, this process often includes identifying an appropriate, scalable software package to make your MRO more efficient. Finally, part of the best practices implementation roadmap is the alignment of the maintenance team’s relationship with the customer service and sales teams working alongside them. The combination of these efforts generates a specific end-result: The MRO becomes a profitable, sustainable and standalone business unit.

Other MRO Related Consulting Services

  • MRO Sales and Marketing
  • Maintenance Talent Development and Mentorship
  • Shop Capacity Analysis and Maintenance Scheduling
  • Preparation for and Oversight of Maintenance Events

While some squawks can be MEL’d, your MRO business isn’t one of them

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