The entire world is eagerly waiting for the COVID-19 vaccine to come to the markets. Various surveys show that markets will rebound and normalcy will be restored once the vaccine comes within the reach of common man. Till then, it’s still a fight..and for the aviation sector the fight is seeming to be the toughest. Even with the restoration of passenger services in various counties, people are slightly sceptical to travel, Airlines on the other hand are leaving no stones unturned to make sure that the air travel is safest. On the background of COVID-19 pandemic and the struggling MRO sector our Assistant Editor Swati.K spoke to the Sales Representative at the Landing Gear division of APOC aviation Martynas Jakimavicius. He spoke in details about his promotion just before the lockdown, the challenges he faced to keep the business running and his mantra at juggling the work-life balance during the pandemic. READ ON!
Q – Just before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, you were promoted as the Sales Rep in APOC’s landing gear division. With the lockdown looming ahead, how did you deal with the work stress? Did you chalk out a master plan going ahead?
A – I think it is safe to say that no one anticipated the effects of this pandemic. There was no possible way to prepare for what has happened.
But when it came to the LDG operations at APOC, I was well prepared. I worked with our VP Landing Gear Trading & Leasing, Karolis Jurkevicius, for over a year prior to my promotion, gaining a deep understanding of the various projects we are involved with. LDG projects take time to develop and implement, so the pandemic did not slow down our operations too much. Of course, the cancellation of important aviation events and the global travel ban directly affected communication with our customers. The inability to have face-to-face meetings makes it much harder to maintain close business relationships. But we kept our communication with them as ‘live’ and as frequent as possible.
Keeping a cool mind, being adaptable, and willing to learn new things has helped us all to make the best of it. Throughout the COVID-19 crisis so far I have spent a lot of time engaging with customers, looking for new contacts and developing relationships. Pre-pandemic, everyone was always in a hurry and we have been given a chance to slow down, reflect, and create a real personal connection with our customers. This is a valuable outcome in this difficult time.
Q – With majority of widebodies retiring earlier than intended, the future of teardown market seems much better. Your views
A – Our focus is on narrow bodies, A320 family, B737NG, so wide bodies do not have a major impact on our business. However, looking long-term, increased wide body retirements means that narrow body market will be more active. This will ultimately bring more business to us.
Q – As the airline traffic starts to rebound, how soon do you see the aftermarket recovering?
A – It is still too early to make any kind of prognosis. I guess we will be in a position to say more once the vaccine is developed. But for now all I can say is that we expect the aftermarket industry to recover steadily. More and more airlines will choose used components and parts instead of buying new ones to save costs, in time business will return to how it used to be.
Q – One of the ways, that majority of companies adopted for sustenance is downsizing? Prior to the COVID-19 crisis the world was dealing with the problem of shortage of skilled labor and now we see skilled aircraft engineers with no work. Your comments
A- That has been a hard thing to witness. Many of my friends were affected by the downsizing processes within their companies. And I am very happy that APOC found the resources to keep all the employees in the company. Feeling safe about our future has brought increased efficiencies and made our inter-company bonds even stronger.
Before the virus, we were facing over a million qualified staff shortages across the industry, so what is happening now is just a temporary stagnation. Many companies are using this downtime to review their internal processes, making them more efficient. So, when the market recovers, we will face the staffing problem once more. Efficiency gains and new technologies mean that jobs will change, but the aviation sector will thrive again and new opportunities will be created.
Q – It is said that trying times are the best teachers; can you share your experiences of juggling the work-life balance in this pandemic?
A – Everyone, no matter the industry, is dealing with an increased amount of stress. Even with job security and financial comfort there is still the flip side of the coin – personal life. Worrying about our close ones, concern about health regulations, and travel bans are part of it. Many services and businesses you deal with day to day are hard to access or unavailable at all. Our quality of life is definitely lower than we are used to. To make it easier to survive, we have to learn to embrace new things and adapt. This is just a phase, which will pass. If we can take this slow down to reconnect with our families and gain new experiences we will emerge stronger and more resilient.
Q – With the current health & safety protocols and social distancing, the MRO work is going to be the biggest challenge. Your views.
A – As far as I know the industry is overcoming this challenge quite well. It might take some time to adapt, but companies are working very hard to fulfil new requirements and make the work as safe and as efficient as possible. That includes all the industry, not only MROs. At APOC we also had to embrace the new normal in our operations, we are taking new measures that include communicating more regularly with employees and shareholders, adopting new health and safety procedures, and embracing remote working to keep operations running as smoothly as possible. It is also a great opportunity to review all the processes, to see how we can make them more efficient. So, there is no need to panic, it is just something we will all have to get used to, and I think many of these new regulations will fit right in even after the pandemic.
Q – Analysts have predicted that, going ahead the airlines will further delay the maintenance schedules wherever possible. So it is said that the initial few months post pandemic will be extremely difficult for MROs, however it will see a gradual increase in the MRO activities. Your views
A – We are very lucky to have a chance to work with successful partners and MRO companies who gained their reputation and status in the industry with their hard work and competence. Airlines cannot really delay maintenance too long as they want to start operating. So the problem that I see is not lack of maintenance enquiries but the airlines’ cashflow, which is hard to plan in these circumstances. The entire aviation industry sector is looking for outside the box solutions to make it work whether that be the implementation of 3D printing, safety measures implementation, flexible cargo solutions for airlines, etc.
Q – The pandemic has increased the use of digital innovations and technologies like additive manufacturing, predictive maintenance, virtual inspections, on-line training, artificial intelligence etc for MRO operations. Can you tell us any practical application, the use of any of the above technologies during the pandemic phase?
A – Anything that can be used to operate remotely is the way to do it. We already use virtual inspections for LDG purposes and adopt online training in some areas. I think that everyone who invested in transitioning their operation to offer a virtual mode is enjoying a huge win at the moment. They are already way ahead of all the rest. It is a lesson that many are having to learn the hard way. You always have to look for ways to modernize, and maybe digitalize your operations. You have to look at the future and embrace the possibilities that it gives you. Otherwise, something unexpected might happen and you can be out of business.
Q – Was aviation always your first choice of career? What advice will you give to the younger generation planning to pursue aviation as their career choice?
A – No, it wasn’t the first. But I am very happy that life brought me here. My words to the youngsters would be – do not let current situation in the industry affect your choices. Take it as an opportunity to learn, gain knowledge, and once this crisis is over you will be one of the most desirable employees in the world. Aviation is very addictive, but in a good way. Once you are part of this great industry, buckle up and enjoy, because it is sure to be one hell of a ride.
