At the first-ever Vertical MRO Conference in Kelowna, British Columbia — the only conference dedicated to advancing the rotorcraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) sector — a panel of industry leaders agreed unanimously that the helicopter industry’s supply chain remains volatile, inconsistent and, at times, inexplicable.
“The biggest issue is the unpredictability of the pinch points in the supply chain,” noted Marc Leduc, MRO sales manager at VIH Aerospace, a helicopter manufacturing, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MMRO) provider. “There’s no rhyme or reason for why something’s delayed. Lately it’s been CherryMAX rivets that suddenly cost six dollars apiece — when did that happen?
“When you’ve got someone’s machine ripped apart and you can’t get the right length of CherryMAX rivet or a collar for the Hi-Lok, you’ve got big problems; it’s a hard thing to explain to the customer,” he added.
Panelists agreed that communication is the most powerful tool when dealing with ongoing supply chain issues. For MROs and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) alike, maintaining transparency with customers about expected delays, realistic timelines, and inventory levels helps preserve trust.
“Communication with the customer is absolutely essential,” said Jasen Gerein, executive VP of business development at Heli-Welders Canada, an MRO provider. “You never want to over-promise. The more we know up front, the better we can plan.”
But Precision Aviation Group (PAG) chief sales and marketing officer Ketan Desai noted even extensive planning doesn’t always protect against disruption. “You can plan a year in advance, and three days before delivery find out material isn’t shipping for six weeks. Every day feels like a new fortune cookie: today’s challenge is tariffs, or supply chain, or labor.
