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ME MRO Industry Will See 
Steady Growth of 4.4 per cent

DUBAI - The Middle East MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) industry will see steady growth of 4.4 per cent and reach $3.4 billion by 2018 as compared to $2.8 billion in 2008 while globally it will shrink this year, said industry experts.

This year, the global MRO will be down between 4 and 8 per cent from 2008 as airlines have generally reduced capacity worldwide specially in North America and West Europe, said Chris Doan, President & CEO of Team SAI Consulting Services at the inaugural MRO Middle East Conference and Exhibition in Dubai on Wednesday.

Long-term outlook of MRO industry will remain healthy as the global growth is expected to be maintained at 4.3 per cent CAGR through 2018 worth $68.6 billion as compared to $45.1 billion in 2008, informed Doan.

“The MRO market is expected to experience a short-term dip followed by long-term growth as regional competitiveness & general skilled labour shortages driving labour rates up,” said Doan. On the occasion Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Airports and the Emirates Airline Group

said, “This event has been a long time coming to the Middle East,” he said. “For some years we have been aware that the sector has struggled to keep pace with the rapid growth of aviation in the region, both in the commercial aviation sector and more recently in business aviation.”

Shaikh Ahmed reminded the delegates to the show - which has been organised by F&E Aerospace in partnership with Aviation Week - that 25 per cent of the world’s new passenger jets were destined for a place in the Middle East, with current aircraft order books for Arab fleets totalling more than $78 billion at list prices.

“But it gets even better,” he added.

A recent MRO human resource survey revealed that human capital is a potential constraint to growth as 40 per cent of the Middle East respondents expect wage growth exceeding 15 per cent over the next three years. The region, which mostly depends on expatriates may witness shortage as expanding MROs will create more opportunities to them at home country, according to the survey.

Airline Industry

The Middle East airlines have faired better than other regions in recent years. Despite major losses elsewhere, the ME is still not experiencing losses of the same magnitude, but committed to their growth plans.

Fleet growth is expected 5.2 per cent to 1,154 in 2018 as compared to 693 in 2008 while widebody aircraft continue to make up a large portion of fleet.

The UAE tops among the Middle East in air transport fleet with 31 per cent as the GCC alone account for 75 per cent of the total Middle East fleet, said David Stewart, Principal, AeroStrategy.

The AeroStrategy is a leading management consulting firm providing market strategy and analysis for the aerospace industry.

Stewart said, “The air transport fleet reached 19,600 aircraft in 2008 while by region the Middle East share was 4 per cent. North America remained on top in fleet size worldwide.

In 10 years time, the European and Asian fleets will be catching up with North America.”

Airlines have announced plans to retire or park more than 830 aircraft in the 2008/2009 timeframe, which are heavily concentrated in North America.

abdulbasit@khaleejtimes.com