The pressure to help airlines and their maintenance-and-repair providers operate faster and more efficiently is expanding efforts in digital commerce.

That was apparent last week at Aviation Week Network’s MRO Americas conference and exhibition in Atlanta, where a number of suppliers to the airline industry announced new or expanded digital offerings.

Aviatar.com, an online portal from Lufthansa Technik, increased its customer activity 20% year over year in 2018, as airlines log-on to it to check the operating status of their aircraft fleets, plan maintenance schedules, monitor and plan technology component upgrades, and receive automated alerts on maintenance needs, says Michael Lagemann, a spokesman for Lufthansa Technik.

Aviatar also provides the ability for airlines to purchase aircraft parts online and integrates with such aviation maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) management software applications as Trax and AMOS.

Lufthansa Technik serves multiple airlines, including Swiss Air and Hungary-based Wizz Air.

Moog Inc. announced a new effort to develop an aerospace supply chain that uses 3D printing and Moog’s blockchain-enabled VeriPart digital supply chain system. Moog said a proof-of-concept for a new service co-developed with Microsoft Corp., ST Engineering and airline Air New Zealand showed that Air New Zealand order a 3D-printed part designed to protect aircraft passenger seats with installed seatback monitors.

AAR, a supplier of aircraft parts and services that announced a contract extension with engine-services firm MTU Maintenance, sells aircraft parts online through its PAARTS Store at shop.aarcopr.com.

Skeyos, an online marketplace for aircraft components, announced that it completed integration of its ecommerce software into the AMOS aviation maintenance management system, enabling AMOS users to directly access Skeyos.com to order parts.

To assist airlines, maintenance firms and part supplies that serve Asia engage in online commerce, the Thailand Board of Investment promoted at the conference its ecommerce portal at BOI.gov.th.  

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