Civil Aerospace: Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO)

Also known as “Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul” involves fixing any sort of mechanical, plumbing or electrical device should it become out of order or broken (known as repair, unscheduled or casualty maintenance). It also includes performing routine actions which keep the device in working order (known as scheduled maintenance) or prevent trouble from arising (preventive maintenance). MRO may be defined as, "All actions which have the objective of retaining or restoring an item in or to a state in which it can perform its required function. The actions include the combination of all technical and corresponding administrative, managerial, and supervision actions."

Maintenance, Repair, & Operations (MRO):

Aircraft maintenance is the overhaul, repair, inspection, or modification of an aircraft or aircraft component. Maintenance includes the installation or removal of a component from an aircraft or aircraft subassembly, but does not include:

Elementary work, such as removing and replacing tires, inspection plates, spark plugs, checking cylinder compression, etc.

• Servicing, such as refueling, washing windows.
• Any work is done on an aircraft or aircraft component as part of the manufacturing process, prior to the issue of a certificate of airworthiness or other certification documents.

Maintenance may include such tasks as ensuring compliance with Airworthiness Directives or Service Bulletins and the following:

• Civil Aerospace Parts Requirements
• Reverse Engineering & Design Requirements
• Parts Manufacturing, PMA, and Other Alternatives

What is the Aircraft Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul Industry?

Companies in this industry provide support services, such as aircraft inspection and testing, ferrying aircraft between departure gates and taxiways, aircraft maintenance and repair, and aircraft and parts overhaul, to air transport operators. The main industry services are commonly referred to as maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO).

Industry Products: 

• Aircraft maintenance and repair
• Aircraft and aircraft parts overhaul
• Aircraft parts and supplies sales
• Other services

Industry Activities: 

• Maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) of aircraft and parts
• Ferrying aircraft between departure gates and taxiways
• Inspection and testing of aircraft

Industry Profile & Trends:

Given the importance of aircraft safety, MRO maintenance has evolved to become a key market within the aviation industry. The market is expected to become increasingly competitive as OEMs continue to expand with after-sale services and more providers emerge from within developing markets. Continued demand for air travel provides MRO's with ample opportunities with the introduction of a multitude of new aircraft. It is estimated that the value of the global commercial aircraft MRO market in 2012 will reach $49 billion.

The global commercial aircraft MRO market is showing encouraging signs of recovery after many years of slow growth. Mature markets of North America and Western Europe will continue to have a strong influence on the MRO industry; however, increasingly Central Asia, the Middle East, and South America are providing a variety of opportunities for business due to their rising economies. This might result in more international providers attempting to gain a stronghold in these respective markets by adopting proactive strategies, including joint ventures and consolidation practices.