Leaders in Maintenance Innovation

Contribution by Chris Betser

One thing that’s never changed in aviation is the fact that the profit margins for aircraft operators are wafer-thin, and the same was true for the Herc operations. Every possible effort had to be made to ensure that we reduced operating and maintenance costs without jeopardising the airworthiness of the aircraft.

With the assistance, of our team of engineers and technologists, several areas were identified where we could innovate to reduce costs without affecting the safety of the aircraft or operations.

One example had to do with engine turbine blade repairs. Safair was the first company to work in conjunction with a leading international blade building company to perform repairs to damaged blades and the cost savings were substantial.

Another example related to the retreading of tyres. We worked with the manufacturer to devise a system whereby we could continuously monitor the condition of tyres. In those days we used to aim to achieve 7 retreads per tyre which saved us approximately 60% compared to replacing the tyres with new ones.