February 24 2022  |  Events

Video Clip: AIME & MRO 2022 recap

By Jane Hobson


Perrone Aerospace's Mathieu Lemonnier explains the latest trend in using leather & synthetic leather as airplane seat. Also ACS Aviation Cleaning Supply's Sander Borchart showed how to clean the markings off the leather seat

The second and final day of AIME (Aircraft Interiors Middle East) and MRO 2022 officially came to a close in Dubai yesterday. Hundreds of exhibitors attended this year’s show, including Etihad Engineering, Dubai South, Sanad, HEICO, Lufthansa Technik, StandardAero, HAECO Group, Gerflor and SAEI (Saudia Aerospace Engineering Industries).

The exhibition featured an expanded Airline Buyers Programme with more than 350 airline representatives from leading regional and international airlines including Emirates, Etihad, Air Arabia, Air France, PIA, Kenya Airways, Oman Air, Flynas, Ryanair, Kuwait Airways, TUIfly, Wizz Air, and Flyadeal.

“The industry has seen a remarkable return of optimism, which we’re seeing translated into contracts and partnerships at the show, representing exciting ongoing business opportunities for the aircraft interiors and MRO community,” said Tim Hawes Managing Director of Tarsus Middle East, one of the show organizers along with Aviation Week Network. “This year's edition has surpassed pre-COVID visitor numbers, both from a local and international perspective with an increased participation from global airlines and international trade delegations.”


The AIME presentation about exploring the evolution of passenger behavior and expectations by Mohamad Al Charif, Aircraft Interior Duty Manager Engineering at Gulf Air on day two. Credit: @AIMiddleEast Twitter

Brian Kough, Senior Director, Forecasts & Aerospace Insights at Aviation Week Network, presenting an industry forecast for the Middle East at the show’s Go Live! Theater on day one said that although the aviation market is volatile, Middle East aircraft utilization in 2021 was up by 25 percent compared to 2020, and the in-service fleet is seen recovering this year to above the 2019 levels with more 31,800 aircraft.

He said he expects the worldwide MRO industry to witness a 3.2 percent compound annual growth rate over the 2022-2031 period to be valued at $1 trillion. Meanwhile, engine MRO demand will grow at 3.7 percent to be valued at $474 billion over the next decade. Specifically, Middle East demand for MRO will be $12.9 billion by 2031. Additionally, narrow-body aircraft will be the key growth drivers over the decade, with over 20,000 worldwide deliveries expected.


The crowd that gathered on day two for AIME Presentation: Exploring the evolution of passenger behavior and expectations. Credit: @AIMiddleEast Twitter

Day two started with the opening of the Exhibition Hall and conferences were broken into two segments: Focus Sessions in the morning and Digital Trends and New Technology in the afternoon.

In MRO Focus on – Supply Chain, moderator Robbie Bourke, Partner at Oliver Wyman, discussed the future of the supply chain and some of the key cost-saving opportunities with panelists Robert Gill, Head of Supply Chain at SANAD; Pat Markham, VP Technical Services, HEICO; and Sergey Stolnikov, Director Logistics and Procurement at VD Gulf.

Speaker Mohamad Al Charif, Aircraft Interior Duty Manager Engineering at Gulf Air, discussed how COVID-19 has changed consumer perceptions in AIME Presentation: Exploring the evolution of passenger behavior and expectations. He looked at why airlines are now focusing on restoring public confidence in the health and safety of flying, identifying the efficient ways to maintain aircraft turnaround times and product innovations helping restore confidence.

Event organizers said the attendance at AIME 2022 is one of the many signs of recovery for the industry. Credit: @AIMiddleEast Twitter

Then Andrii Kusyi, Technical Manager Cabin Operations at Wizz Air, presented how the benefits and opportunities of digital services can unlock new revenue streams in AIME Presentation: Monetizing the growing demand of inflight connectivity.

In the final presentation of the morning, MRO Planning and implementing a modern MRO IT solution – considerations and case study examples, Michael Egan, VP Commercial Aviation, IFS Aerospace & Defense, discussed “Going Live” – a critical milestone in the process of implementing an MRO IT solution. He drew on examples form Qantas, Air France-KLM, Emirates and Southwest.

The afternoon Digital Trends and New Technology segment kicked off with the MRO & Digitalization panel moderated by Dinakar Deshmukh, VP, Data and Analytics at GE Aviation. Panelists Dr. Abdelqader Abusafieh, SVP Technology & Advanced Materials, Sanad Aerotech; James Kornberg, Aerospace and Defense Industry, Business Consultant, Dassault Systems; and, Wolfgang Neumann, Director Dubai Office, Asia & Pacific Rim at MTU Maintenance looked at the key digital trends and the role they have played to accelerate the recovery. Participants discussed the applications and impact of big data and AI, Additive Manufacturing in MRO operations and the opportunities for this technology moving forward.


The Exhibition Hall on day two of AIME 2022. Credit: @AIMiddleEast Twitter

Next, was MRO: Driving the industry with digital tech-ops solutions with Frank Martens, Head of Customer Development Digitalisation & Engineering for Lufthansa Technik and Ljubomir Jesic, Senior Technical Services Manager of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi. The pair assessed the impact and deployment of predictive maintenance tools and how the accuracy and success of predictive maintenance tools can be measured.

In the final presentation of the two-day event, Turkish Airlines’ Mustafa Emre Uzunhuseyinoglu explored how to revolutionize premium economy cabins and seats without sacrificing profit per flight in AIME Presentation: Finding the sweet spot between passenger comfort and ROI.

Following the event, AIME tweeted, saying “We would like to thank all our visitors, exhibitors, sponsors and speakers who made this event a successful one. We can’t wait to see you next year at AIME.”

“The expected industry growth is a clear sign of recovery, which will be underlined by enhanced innovation and digital-led technologies necessary for future resilience. We’re glad to see that the conference content is providing critical learning opportunities that will drive a strong recovery of the aviation industry,” said Lydia Janow, SVP Events at Aviation Week Network.

This year’s event was hosted at the Dubai World Trade Centre from February 22 to 23, 2022. PAX Tech is a proud Media Partner for AIME 2022. The first day included the Exhibition Hall open and several discussions, panels and presentations.

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