Air Worthy gears up for busy summer of projects

Last year Air Worthy managed the technical consultancy for the first Boeing B767-300 P2F (passenger to freight) conversion in Europe and now the airworthiness specialist is involved in two further B767 cargo conversion projects.

As highlighted in a blog on the subject, cargo conversion does not just involve adding a door and emptying the fuselage. Any modifications that were previously installed need to be removed and some are only partially removed or modified themselves. Also, Airworthiness Directive (AD) and Service Bulletin (SB) assessment can be highly complex, which requires a very good technical understanding of the whole process. For a B767 it is normally around 5 months to complete the conversion but this mostly depends on the condition of the aircraft structure before the conversion, which is a variable factor on this aircraft type, according to its age.

With two such projects in progress simultaneously, it is a busy few months for the Air Worthy technical team. Although Air Worthy does not hold supplemental type certification (STC) for cargo conversion itself, the company supports the contracted MRO and deals with all the avionics and structural modifications needed for current and future mandates. Air Worthy also co-ordinates the external Part-21 works when required.

In addition to Boeing aircraft projects, Air Worthy’s technical representatives have also been busy supporting the service transition of Airbus A350s and A330s at Teruel in Spain and Tarbes in France.

With significant expertise delivering CAMO services across the Airbus fleet, Air Worthy is managing a number of client projects across the world, which involve the following scope of work:

• Aircraft leasing transition documentation
• Aircraft records review and preparation(off-site)
• Aircraft records review and preparation(on-site)
• Aircraft inspection including demonstration flight on board witnessing
• On-site aircraft maintenance check witnessing and supervision
• Coordination and liaison with regards to the above services
• Open Item List management
• Complete transition/CAMO process management

Commenting on Air Worthy’s project management responsibilities, Accountable Manager, Gabriele Brescianino, said:

“Air Worthy’s extensive engineering knowledge and experience has been acquired over many years by our team of specialist engineers and network of approved technical representatives around the world. Our trusted service is comprehensive, so we are able to deliver beyond airworthiness, providing an outsourced solution that brings peace of mind to our customers. Every aircraft is an asset and Air Worthy’s main goals are to uphold aircraft safety and deliver value for clients through a dedicated outsourced solution.”

As highlighted in a separate blog, the role of a CAMO is highly complex and specialised. It requires many disciplines, all focused on aircraft safety, including: liaison with relevant authorities on behalf of an aircraft owner/lessor; finding solutions to technical issues; updating of aircraft technical manuals; performing AOG inspections and safeguarding records. When outsourced, a CAMO representative may be permanently based on-site during a heavy maintenance check or complex STC (Supplemental Type Certificate) modification, to oversee the process and ensure the schedule is kept on track.

Air Worthy also offers technical services for aircraft transitions (Pre-purchase inspections; Mid-lease audits; Physical surveys; Technical lease reviews) all over the world, which is delivered through a global network of approved technical consultancy partners.