Company executives to speak on panels exploring diverse aspects of commercial aviation from changes in maintenance regulation to cyber security

PHOENIX – AAR (NYSE: AIR), the largest independent MRO in North America, will showcase its 1MRO service delivery network and total support capabilities at Aviation Week’s 2014 MRO Americas Conference, April 8-10.

AAR established 1MRO to streamline its diverse capabilities across six aircraft repair stations in the U.S., delivering the same quality service no matter where the work is performed. Those locations include hangars in Indianapolis, Miami, Oklahoma City, Duluth, Minn., enabling both wide- and narrow-body repair work.

AAR recently announced a single-source contract to provide comprehensive support for a fleet of new aircraft operated by Mesa Airlines, including rotable inventory power by the hour (PBH) support, heavy maintenance, and wheel and brake services at AAR facilities across the country.

Executives from AAR’s business segments will be available at Booth #1923. Reporters and editors are encouraged to stop by or schedule interviews in advance to learn more about the Company’s single-source, comprehensive offerings for commercial airlines, which include wheels and brakes, landing gear and component repair services, aerostructures and interiors, supply chain management and cargo solutions.

Several executives will be participating in panel discussions.

On April 8:
Jack Arehart, Vice President and Co-Chief Commercial Officer, will participate in the panel “Recovery and Consolidation” at 11:45 a.m. This session will examine the financial recovery of the airlines and its impact on industry consolidation and what these changes mean for fleet demand and MRO activity.

On April 9:
Kevin Larson, AAR’s Vice President and Chief Information Officer, will serve on two panels: In “CIO Speaks Out” at 10:30 a.m., Larson will examine industry trends in technology and ways business priorities are shaping IT direction. Then at 1 p.m., he will be part of a discussion addressing real-time data, MRO and the supply chain as potential weak points in aviation cyber security.

Troy Jonas, Vice President of AAR’s Global Sales and Marketing, Airframe and Engineering Services, is included on the panel “Enhancing Aircraft Availability” at 11:45 a.m. Jonas will discuss methods to significantly improve gate turnaround times by fully integrating maintenance into the operations environment.

Art Smith, Vice President and Chief Quality Officer, joins FAA and airline representatives at 1 p.m. for the “Contracting Trends” panel. Speakers will examine the agency’s proposed amendments to maintenance regulations for domestic, flag and other carriers.

And on April 10:
Tom Wilson, President of Airinmar, an AAR subsidiary, will join the panel “Intelligent and Integrated Methods to Maintenance Planning, sponsored by AAR, at 11:15 a.m. Participants are being asked to evaluate maintenance forecasting across multiple business functions and the key performance indicators used to assess the overall effectiveness of the planning process.

“AAR has unmatched experience servicing commercial customers in America and around the world. We are well-positioned to create solutions tailored to meet individual customer requirements and designed to improve efficiency and reduce overall costs,” said Chris Jessup, AAR Senior Vice President of Airframe and Engineering Services. “Partnerships are key to our expansion, so we look forward to the business forums and networking opportunities at the world’s premier MRO conference.”

AAR offers a full array of component repair, overhaul, exchange and replacement options. The Company also offers high-value engineering support services to supplement customers’ internal capabilities. With facilities located throughout the United States, AAR is the largest independent MRO provider in North America and ranks third in the world.