ETIHAD Aviation Group - Innovation in Business-to-Business Services
Company: ETIHAD Aviation Group
Company Description: Etihad Aviation Group, a diversified global aviation and travel company, is considered to be one of the world’s most acclaimed aviation brands. Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE and a division of the group, was formed in 2003 and quickly went on to become one of the world’s leading airlines. In recent years, the organisation has received numerous awards for its superior service and p
Nomination Category: New Product Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Award for Innovation in Business-to-Business Services
Nomination Title: Driven by Innovation
Etihad Engineering is one of the world’s leading aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) organisations based in Abu Dhabi, UAE. With a 500,000 sqm state-of-the-art aircraft maintenance facility and a multinational workforce from over 50 nations, we serve customers across six contents and contribute to the UAE’s vision of becoming a hub of global aviation and innovation.
Innovation is a part of our DNA and a key driver of our growth and progress across our business. Our innovative business to business services between 2018 and 2021 included initiatives for MRO efficiency, big data and predictive maintenance, intelligent cabin technologies, additive manufacturing and airline operational efficiency.
Our innovative approach to delivering business to business services has made us an MRO partner of choice internationally, with our global footprint expanding steadily across the Middle Europe, Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas year on year. Even during the ongoing pandemic and slump in aviation, we managed to serve customers from more than 20 countries around the world.
Etihad Engineering presented its revolutionary intelligent and smart cabin, i+s Cabin, for the first time on Boeing’s 777 flying testbed, the ecoDemonstrator in Frankfurt in 2019, developed by an international consortium initiated by Etihad Engineering. It enables the exchange of cabin health and significant operational data for faster aircraft dispatch times and higher cabin reliability.
In 2019, Etihad Engineering launched an additive manufacturing facility in Abu Dhabi, the first 3D printing lab of its kind in the Middle East and became the first airline MRO to receive EASA approval to design, produce and certify 3D printed cabin parts using powder-bed fusion technology, in partnership with EOS. With the innovative use of 3D printing, we are achieving faster production cycles, more lightweight designs and customised parts tackling key challenges in aerial vehicle downtime.
The first automated aircraft inspection trial by a drone was carried out successfully at Etihad Engineering in 2019 as a part of the company’s ‘Hangar of the Future’ initiative which combines the use of innovative technologies and smart ‘Internet of Things’. Aircraft inspections using drone technology significantly reduce inspection time and increase the reliability, safety and traceability of airframe checks.
The critical supply chain and logistics function at Etihad Engineering has been fully transformed through innovation and streamlining of work flow. 7000 parts are managed with an automated Vertical Storage System, reducing material receiving time from 23 minutes to 52 seconds, and contributing significantly to faster turnaround time for delivering business to business services. Using automated services and innovations in workflow, outstanding reduction in turnaround time has been achieved in various areas like issuing and distribution which now takes an average of 45 minutes instead of 48 hours.
Responding rapidly to the global pandemic in 2020, Etihad Engineering focused on supporting the aviation industry and making flying safer. We developed innovative business solutions to help airlines return to service while ensuring the safety of crew and passengers. These include onboard disinfection and distancing solutions as well as cabin modifications such as protective screens and quarantine zones onboard. We designed and delivered 3D-printed face shields to frontline healthcare workers across the UAE in our additive manufacturing lab and produced over 1 million medical face masks for the aviation industry in our recently established state-of-the-art mask production facility onsite.
Our commitment to innovation has been acknowledged, regionally and internationally. In recent years, Etihad Engineering won the Engineering Innovation Award for Next Generation Inflight Connectivity, UAE GCAA Aeronnovation award for ‘Improving Aviation Safety’ and Engineering Innovation Award for the world’s first commercial flying test bed. Most recently, Etihad Engineering has been honoured with the inaugural “Pride of Aviation” Award by Aviation Business for demonstrating extraordinary resilience and adaptability during one of the hardest years in aviation history.