Q. Daniel, it’s almost six months since you took up this new role, what is your view on the ITM and MRO business at large – as the market is rapidly changing?

A. Today, we have quite a diverse landscape of component pooling providers. Apart from the major global MROs, we now also have aircraft OEMs and smaller MROs entering the market, pitching their services to customers and some OEMs are trying to have more control over the aftermarket support of their products. In such a competitive marketplace, it is therefore essential to build cooperative relationships with key OEMs, in order to provide sustainable support to our customers.

Q. HAECO ITM Ltd. is a relatively new player in the field. By taking up a leading role at this time, what are you bringing to the development of this business?

A. Even though we haven’t been in the market very long, we are already proudly supporting more than 260 aircraft in the Asia Pacific region. I see huge opportunities for HAECO ITM. As part of the HAECO Group we possess extensive experience on component-related products and services over many years that we can build on. 

Comments and feedback I have received during recent customer visits have given me great confidence that we are on the right track, and have also confirmed my view that by shaping and developing our services according to market needs, we are well-positioned to be the service provider of choice for customers. 

I believe with HAECO’s long-standing reputation and technical expertise, our experienced aviation specialists in the HAECO ITM team paired with our creativity and “out-of-the-box” thinking, there are great opportunities for developing the ITM business on new and existing fleets.

Q. In your opinion, what makes HAECO ITM stand out amongst other industry players?

A. We are very strong in supporting Airbus and Boeing widebody aircraft and we are very keen to further develop our narrowbody capabilities. We are located in the heart of Asia and every major hub in Asia can be reached within four hours. We are able to further invest in our component pool in order to support new customers. Apart from these hard facts, there is another element with significance: We do what we promise to do! 

In this market environment, it is very important that customers can look at the track record of potential suppliers of Power-by-the-Hour component support programmes and carefully assess how far these candidates will follow up on their promises of offering sustained support to their operations, without running into the “over-and-above” trap. 

HAECO ITM is part of the HAECO Group and therefore follows the same philosophy of being a trusted and reliable partner when it comes to service provision.

Q. How do you define “Best value for money” in the ITM business? And how are you delivering that to your customers?

A. With our extensive knowledge of the MRO business, HAECO ITM differentiates itself from the competition by understanding customers’ operational, technical and financial requirements and identifying which of their needs are essential. From our point of view, we strive to provide value even before entering into a long-term support contract, by giving our customers guidance and advice with regards to a potential Power-by-the-Hour support model. With our flexible support approach and our understanding of the airline business, I believe we can create unparalleled value for money for our customers.

Q. We have observed a trend for airlines to replace older fleets with NewGen aircraft faster than ever, do you consider that an opportunity or a challenge?

A. We at HAECO ITM consider that to be an opportunity, albeit a challenging one - no question about it! The OEM landscape for NewGen aircraft is consolidating and therefore it will be more and more important to develop strong and strategic relationships with component OEMs. I consider this is a great opportunity for our business, as we have already developed a solid foundation with some key OEMs, adding to the fact that fewer airlines and operators are willing to invest in spares for new aircraft types, and would rather participate in a pool and leave the investment in spares to pool providers like HAECO ITM. 

Q. What is your aspiration for the HAECO ITM business in the short and medium-term?

A. We have a great team, we are part of the HAECO Group and we have a solid relationship with our customers, who give us the confidence that we are on the right track to grow our business. 

My short-term aspiration is to develop the HAECO ITM team and operations with a view to offering flexible support programmes that create value for our customers. We will continue to work closely with OEMs and MROs to improve our cost base, and in turn will be able to offer more competitive and flexible solutions to our customers.

At present, Asia is one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world, and HAECO ITM is based in Hong Kong - a central location in Asia. With our inventory based in Hong Kong, all major customers in Asia are within a maximum four hours’ proximity; such a geographic advantage enables us to offer one of the most competitive programmes in the region. 

Leveraging on this competitive edge, my medium-term target is to become one of the leading component pooling providers in Asia, and to create awareness in the market that HAECO ITM is a competitive alternative to the more-established MROs and aircraft OEMs. I would also like our potential customers to learn more about our offerings of tailored and flexible component pooling support. Last but not least, our pledge to our customers: “We do what we promise to do!”