Ontic, the US-headquartered parts manufacturer, has introduced CargoCare, a new family of MRO services designed to reduce aircraft downtime and improve maintenance cost predictability for cargo operators. The first offering is an exchange and overhaul programme for Boeing 747 leading edge flap drive units, with replacements turning around in as little as 48 hours and overhauls carried out in the UK.

Ontic is headquartered in Chatsworth, California, and is a licensed OEM supplier of parts for mature aerospace platforms. It was acquired by CVC Capital Partners in 2019 in a deal valued at 1.3 billion dollars (1.11 billion euros).

Under the programme, operators send removed units to Ontic and receive replacements from an exchange pool, giving them rapid access to serviceable components following unexpected removals. Removed components are then overhauled at Ontic’s MRO facility in Tewksbury, Gloucestershire, before being returned to the pool.

That 72,000 square foot UK site is designed to employ 200 MRO specialists at full capacity and works on commercial and defence aerospace components. It draws on Ontic’s manufacturing bases in nearby Bishops Cleeve and Staverton, holds BSI AS9100 certification and Part 145 approvals, and Ontic says it will be the only UK-based MRO with this range of capabilities under one roof.

CargoCare packages are tailored to individual fleet requirements, with operators able to choose between dedicated and shared exchange pools to minimise spare inventory holdings. The service also includes flat-rate overhaul pricing, extended warranties and flexible commercial terms, with support from Ontic’s regional hubs across Europe, the Americas and Asia.

“Cargo operators can’t afford to have aircraft sitting on the ground waiting for a part to come back from overhaul. CargoCare takes that uncertainty away,” said Dave Mayne, MRO director for Europe and Asia at Ontic.

“Operators get a serviceable unit quickly, at a cost they can plan around, and a package built on how their fleet operates,” Mayne said.

Ontic plans to expand CargoCare to additional aircraft platforms and components as part of its continued investment in MRO capabilities.

For the sector, the programme shows UK-based MRO capacity being built into exchange pools and fixed-price overhaul terms for the downtime concerns of freighter operators.

Source: Aviation Business News / Punchline Gloucester