By TTA Blog
TTA Delivers Solutions to Help Ensure the Safety and Airworthiness of the Versatile Airbus
Behind the scenes every day, Thrust Tech Accessories serves as a key player in the aerospace industry providing maintenance, overhaul, and repair (MRO) of engines and airframe accessory components for myriad aircraft types in service across the globe—such as the highly versatile Airbus line. The goal of TTA as a top provider of MRO services is to keep such aircraft flying properly and safely—and long into the future.
But first, let’s take a look back at the long and illustrious history of this family of commercial jets that changed aviation history in 1972 when the very first Airbus, the A300B1, to the skies.
Flying High! Airbus Aircraft Have the Right Stuff!
For a half century, Airbus, formed as a consortium of European aircraft manufacturers, has shaped the skies as Europe’s answer to Boeing. It has since built a diverse range of aircraft types – everything from sleek narrow-body jets to large versatile widebodies, from business jets to the world’s largest commercial jet and helicopters.
Cost Efficiency and Versatility
“Today, airlines and cargo companies can count on Airbus’ diverse portfolio of aircraft, both for their cost efficiency and versatility,” says Stanley Kowlessar, general manager of Thrust Tech Accessories (TTA), a highly experienced, veteran-owned MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) services company. “These aircraft can also provide a smooth ride for passengers and crew members,”
Based near Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport in South Florida, “TTA’s world-class MRO team provides top-notch services and LRU accessory components for A-319 to A-340 aircraft, as well as aircraft types from Boeing, Bombardier, and many other manufacturers.” With that in mind, let’s look at just a few of these Airbus aircraft types, which Kowlessar says are still flying high for airlines and other operators.
A320 Family Members
Tracking members of the A320 family requires a bit of hopscotching around 1990s and 2000s aviation history. Just a few highlights? Essentially, the first single-aisle A320 flew in 1987. A “stretched” version – the A321 – was first delivered in 1994. Next, a shortened A319 debuted in 1996 in service for Swissair. Plus, an even further shortened A318 took to the skies in 2003. Both of the shorter aircraft were designed to compete head-to-head with Boeing’s 737-300-to-700 series of aircraft.
One highlight is that the A320 family of aircraft pioneered the use of new, digital, fly-by-wire flight control systems. Separately, the A319CJ, rebranded as the ACJ319 “Elegance,” essentially a corporate jet version of the A319, was created to compete with other ultra-large-cabin corporate jets. The A319LR now operates as a longer-range version of the A319, and the A319neo (neo meaning “new engine options”) came on the aviation scene in 2010.
The Dominator: A330
Let’s just say that calling the A330 family of widebody aircraft “a dominator” is a good choice of words. Many operators use these aircraft for their “bread-and-butter” short-to-medium-haul operations. But whether the plane is operating a quickie, 20-minute flight, or alternatively, an extensive 17-hour flight, thanks to weight variants, the A330 is a top performer. Another plus is the series’ quiet cabin for passenger comfort.
Today, there are at least 1,400+ A330s in operations with more than 145 customers and operators. And over the years, Airbus has added enhancements. For instance, it leveraged the later A350s advanced technology to reduce operating costs in creating the A330neo, the newest A320 family member. That created a 25 percent advantage in fuel burn and fewer CO2 emissions per seat, compared with previous generation aircraft.
Much Smaller A220s
The Airbus A220 is a family of five different narrow-body aircraft now built under the auspices of the Airbus Canada Limited Partnership or ACLP. Originally, the aircraft were developed by Bombardier Aviation as the Bombardier CSeries. But in 2018, the aircraft was rebranded as the A220 after Airbus acquired a majority stake through a joint venture that transformed into ACLP.
Unique fact? The facility in Mirabel, Quebec, became the first Airbus commercial aircraft manufacturing operation managed outside of Europe, and later a second A220 final assembly line opened at the Airbus facility in Mobile, Ala. In February 2020, Airbus increased its stake in ACLP to 75% through Bombardier’s exit, while Investissement Québec holds the remaining stake.
MRO for Airbus Aircraft
For more than three decades, Thrust Tech Accessories has held MRO certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and has also been certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for many years. Last year, the MRO achieved another certification from the United Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) too.
Able to offer airline and aviation operators an extensive portfolio of MRO services and parts, TTA actually doubled its warehouse parts inventory during the pandemic. “Among other core offerings, we specialize in a variety of MRO services for Airbus A319 to A340 aircraft,” noted Kowlessar. Those include LRUs (line replaceable units or components) and accessory components.
So, TTA can assist in providing clients with everything from hydraulic pumps and starter generators to pneumatic drive actuators, accumulator hydraulics, high-pressure valves and other parts critical for keeping a plane in the air and flying safely.
Top-Notch Service: “That said, in addition to providing MRO services for clients with Airbus aircraft, we provide top-notch service to all clients – big and small,” says Kowlessar. “Some may operate Boeing, Bombardier, Sikorsky or other manufacturer’s aircraft and rotorcraft.
Another perk? “We also provide program pricing for airlines and higher volume customers, and TTA also has engineering solutions to help a wide range of clients reduce their aircraft operating costs.”
So, whether your needs are for Airbus aircraft or another type of commercial, business, or private aircraft, contact TTA to discuss our wide-ranging capabilities to support your fleet – and to obtain competitive program bids. Please send an email to TTAsales@ThrustTech.com or call 954-984-0450.
PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Eledut
