Preconceived notions are the bane of any profession, but they’re particularly insidious in a strategic industry like aviation. There’s nothing worse than self-appointed "experts" who regurgitate the same old conventional wisdom, from the safety of their desks.

That’s why I try to personally meet as many aviation insiders as possible, to get the straight dope from the real world. And that’s also why, after 21 hours on an airplane, your faithful correspondent found himself in the fetid environs of Southeast Asia, to cover the Singapore Air Show. I didn’t navigate down a river to search for the elusive Mr. Kurtz — rather, the heart of my darkness was six straight days of schlepping through yet another crowded aviation trade show.

The Singapore Air Show, hosted by this amazingly well-run island nation/city state, is a stamina-testing gauntlet, as is typical with most air shows, but in the case of Singapore’s venue, the ordeal was well worth the effort. This biennial show, always important in the past, took on particular importance this year, as Asia increasingly emerges as a hot spot of aerospace growth.

The Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul sector was front-and-center in many of my meetings, which isn’t surprising because a considerable amount of MRO work is being outsourced to Asia.

At the show, I chatted with Charles Elkins, senior marketing director, marketing and supplier services, at Aviall, which distributes parts for a wide variety of aircraft. We discussed concerns over the outsourcing of aircraft maintenance to foreign repair shops, and the related gaps in the FAA’s supervision of both safety and security practices.

I asked Charlie whether the increasing reliance on outsourcing adversely affects air safety. I also asked him whether increasing globalization of MRO facilities undermines safety and readiness. As more and more outfits merge, MROs are reaping economies of scale. But how does this trend affect quality of work?

Charlie pointed out that there’s a difference between delegating the MRO work, and simply sloughing off all responsibility. He said the outsourcing of maintenance is an inevitable trend that won’t slow down and that outsourcing is not inherently unsafe.

What makes the difference, he said, is whether "the work is properly supervised" and strict criteria are established and followed. He said customers have a responsibility to make sure standards are being followed.

Charlie also emphasized the importance of good customer service and rapid turnaround of repairs, as well as the timely provision of spare parts. "When the OEMs take too long to provide a spare part or if their customer service is unresponsive, they leave themselves open to competition from the PMA suppliers, who rush in to fill the gap," he said.

To be sure, a major factor driving growth in the Asian aerospace market is accelerating consolidation of MRO work. Asia is increasingly an MRO center and many OEMs have a presence there. This region of the world can provide quick MRO turnaround times.

Case in point: Rolls-Royce has forged an agreement with Singapore Airlines to supply the latest version of its Trent engine series for a new fleet of 20 Airbus A350 XWB twinjets. The business, involving Trent XWB engines, is worth $800 million.

These MRO themes were addressed in an Aviation Today webinar, now archived on the site, entitled: "Aviation Maintenance: The Trends that will Affect Your Bottom Line". You can still experience this event by registering for it on the webinar archive page at www.AviationToday.com.

We’ll revisit major MRO trends in an all-new, forthcoming Aviation Today webinar, "New Maintenance Procedures: How to Keep Pace With Globalization and Consolidation", scheduled for July 17.

An archived podcast, available on Aviation Today for free downloading, also touches on these themes. It’s called: "Safe Outsourcing: How to Ensure Proper Fuel System Maintenance", an interview with John Stewart, president and general manager, SWAT (Southwest Airframe and Tank Services), Dallas, Texas.

For lengthier and more detailed coverage of the Singapore Air Show as it relates to the MRO field, consult the blog archive on www.AviationToday.com. We cover the far-flung shows, so you don’t have to.