There are few situations in which supply chain constraints are more frustrating than when it comes to providing the parts and support to keep aircraft flying. Airbus Helicopters is not alone in finding this challenging, but Romain Trapp, the company’s executive v-p of customer support and services, believes 2024 will be a year in which it reaps the rewards of improvements introduced over the last couple of years.
Trapp, who was formerly CEO of Airbus Helicopters Inc. in the U.S., is in charge of helping 3,211 operators worldwide get the best from the 12,393 rotorcraft now in service. “Our main priority now is to fix the supply chain issues and get parts and repairs where they are needed, so we’re trying to make sure all our actions pay off for our customers,” he told reporters in a briefing ahead of the Heli-Expo show.
One of these actions has been to increase the amount of spare parts stock held in the manufacturer’s depots and service centers by $430 million. Acknowledging that it has taken too long to deliver some parts from warehouses, Trapp has placed 20 of his employees at the facilities of some of its suppliers to keep things moving.
Each year, 10 percent more Airbus customers sign up for its FlyScan predictive and corrective maintenance platform linked to a health and usage monitoring system suite that provides expert analysis of issues. Trapp said this typically results in two or three fewer AOG situations annually.
More than 20 percent of the Airbus fleet is now covered by the company’s HCare support and service program. One benefit is that parts availability is guaranteed to an average rate of 95 percent, and if this commitment isn’t met, the company pays penalties to operators.
Over the past year, the HMotion training program has added a new simulator center for H135 and H145 pilots. In 2025, a new H160 simulator will be installed at Airbus’ facility in Grand Prairie, Texas.