Air Worthy: great growth and international projects

Here is the translation of an interview to Air Worthy's Founders published on the magazine Italia Vola in May 2023.

"In recent years we have recorded a constant growth, both for the evolution of projects and for the professionals who have become part of the team, arriving at having collaborators all over the world."

Lucia Soffientini, Continuing Airworthiness Manager and Avionics Engineer, and Gabriele Brescianino, Accountable Manager/ARS, founders and owners of Air Worthy srl, CAMO based in Northern Italy, share with us some insights about the past, present and future of the company.

Lucia and Gabriele, how has your company developed in the last two years?
We have worked hard and have acquired new certifications for the CAMO management of several aircraft models. The number and continuity of projects have increased so much that we have expanded the team by adding two engineers, one specialized in Structures and Systems and one in Powerplants, both with over twenty years of experience, and an Accounting & Customer Relationship resource dedicated to customer care. We have also made a precise corporate choice: in the past we worked a lot for third-parties that sub-contracted to us many CAMO and transitions services. Now we want to focus only on direct customers: an uphill road, which however is proving to be a winning strategy.

You are operating in Italy and abroad: where are the main projects?
In the last two years, in addition to being more established on the national and European market, we have also landed on the international market in countries such as the United States, Australia, India and Asia. Furthermore, we are the sub-contracted CAMO for a Maltese airline: a long-term, very challenging and exciting project.

For optimal process management you have developed the AWAS software: how does it look like?
AWAS, acronym for Air Worthy Aircraft Software, is the result of a year and a half of development, made possible also thanks to the collaboration with a computer engineering student from the Polytechnic University of Milan. This software allows us to prepare the aircraft management program and the various deadlines in an agile way, with a user-friendly web portal available to the customer, who can check the progress of the work in real time. The other companies in this field buy turnkey solutions, we have decided to create our own software, easy to use and customized according to our specific operational needs and customers’ needs.

What makes you stand out from your competitors?
A leasing company, during an international sector meeting, defined us as a "unique reality in the aeronautical world", because we are an independent CAMO but structured as if we were an internal CAMO of an airline with the added value of an engineering team consisting of specialists in Avionics, Structures and Powerplants, which allows us not only to manage maintenance and deadlines, but also to evaluate and forecast requirements to meet current and future mandates.

Let’s have a look at the future: how will the business develop?
In recent years, especially during the Covid-19 period, cargo aircraft production has not kept up with the market demand, for this reason many 20- or 30-year-old passenger airplanes have been and will be converted into cargo. This phenomenon is interesting because in fact the plane is given a second life and made able to face another decade of flight. January 2023 saw the beginning of the first conversion of a Boeing 767-300 in Europe, more precisely in Belgrade. Air Worthy is taking part in the project by providing engineering and planning support. By the end of 2023 we have another 767 conversion on the pipeline, a very exciting project that drives us to do our best.

What do you think are the reasons for this significant corporate growth?

The recovery of the sector, which took place after the emergency period, certainly contributed, and for sure our efficient and high-level technical work, made possible also by the selection of great and trustworthy people, with many years of experience, who independently manage projects that require a lot of competence and professionalism.

Ad maiora!