AS9120B, ISO 9001:2015, and FAA AC 0056B Accredited
Why PMA Aircraft Parts Are a Cost Effective Alternative for Airlines
Airlines are required to uphold safety and regulatory compliance in every facet of their operation, which can conflict with their secondary goal of remaining profitable. When the aftermarket was dominated by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), premium pricing structures often strained maintenance budgets. However, the vast selection of Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) products currently available makes it far easier for aviation companies to remain competitive. These PMA parts are not low-grade counterfeits, having earned a combined design and production approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to function as identical or improved versions of OEM products. This blog will lay out how PMA aircraft parts can help airlines bolster their bottom line without shirking the high standards that define the industry.
Initially Competitive Pricing
When comparing PMA vs OEM aircraft parts, the price differential can range anywhere between 20% to 50%. Clearly, this is not due to lower quality and instead is helped out by factors like:
- Monopoly Pricing: OEMs usually have a fair sale price, but the prices of aftermarket spares often start to increase due to their relative scarcity. Some OEMs even purposely use a razor and blade model where parts or assemblies are sold at a near-loss just to encourage their employment, making their true profit later through proprietary replacement parts. PMA manufacturers break this monopoly by creating new-production alternatives.
- Overhead and R&D: While PMA manufacturers invest heavily in engineering and testing, they are not weighed down by the massive overhead associated with developing an entire aircraft type or engine series. Furthermore, they are typically required to use the original part as a blueprint, meaning there is far less trial and error than what goes into designing and testing brand-new products.
- New Processes: PMA options tend to enter the market years after the OEM item was first produced, which gives entities the edge of newer manufacturing technologies that did not exist or were not as cost-effective originally.
Supply-Chain Resilience
Lengthy lead times are common for OEM parts, particularly those created for now-aging fleets where the manufacturer has shifted to producing items for their newer platforms. This means that the wide availability of PMA products can slash the amount of costly Aircraft on Ground (AOG) time spent waiting for certain part types to ship out. Outside of aircraft whose components are hard to come by, if an OEM faces a labor strike, factory shutdown, or any other sort of logistics bottleneck, airlines can generally avoid becoming reliant on a single source and opt to order pre-approved products that are ready to ship.
Refined Designs
Since PMA replacement parts are developed later, their creators have the benefit of observing the original part’s real-world failures to make significant improvements that lessen labor and replacement costs. For instance, if an OEM item is prone to premature cracking or thermal degradation, a secondary manufacturer can present a design that uses superior alloys or coatings and exhibits a longer Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF). In many instances, PMA parts are also refined to be easier to install or more resistant to maintenance-induced damage by using existing test and computation data.
Procure PMA Parts and More on Instantaneous Delivery
In the past, operators previously expressed hesitation regarding the use of PMA aircraft parts as they had the idea that they would harm the residual value of their assets, but their worth has since been proven through millions of flight hours and substantial accumulated savings that overshadow any perceived impact on resale and leasing endeavors. Major carriers now routinely utilize PMA components across their fleets, and many leasing agreements include clauses that permit their use provided that each one is supported by a valid FAA Form 8130-3 Airworthiness Approval Tag. With all of this being said, do not hesitate to check out the array of PMA offerings listed on Instantaneous Delivery.
As a website operated by renowned distributor ASAP Semiconductor, Instantaneous Delivery is dedicated to presenting authentic, flight-critical hardware and FAA PMA aircraft parts alike. Along with our layered commitments to quality assurance, we also pride ourselves on rapid logistics and competitive pricing to keep your operations running seamlessly. Take the time to explore our inventory today, and be sure to connect with our team to learn more about how we can serve you!