More airlines intend to expand their in-house maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) divisions, following two decades of outsourcing. A trend from the mid-1990s towards contracting out maintenance needs has left the global airline industry with a shortfall in MRO capacity. While demand for air flight continues to grow, particularly in Air Asia, aftermarket sectors like MRO have consolidated and become more expensive, leading to carriers like AsiaAir Asia and Malaysia Airlines making significant investments in their own MRO businesses. As such, maintenance could become a lucrative source of revenue for some airlines in a market recently dominated by manufacturers.
More airlines intend to expand their in-house maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) divisions, following two decades of outsourcing. A trend from the mid-1990s towards contracting out maintenance needs has left the global airline industry with a shortfall in MRO capacity. While demand for air flight continues to grow, particularly in Asia, aftermarket sectors like MRO have consolidated and become more expensive, leading to carriers like Air Asia and Malaysia Airlines making significant investments in their own MRO businesses. As such, maintenance could become a lucrative source of revenue for some airlines in a market recently dominated by manufacturers.