Current Impact
COVID-19 has forced the governments of several countries worldwide to declare either complete or partial lockdowns. The operations in many industries have been affected by these lockdowns, particularly those categorized as non-essential, including the aviation & defense industry.
The aviation industry has witnessed an unprecedented decline in the last two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The outbreak of the virus has significantly impacted the airline companies. The spread of COVID-19 and the response by the aviation industry has resulted in an unparalleled decline in global air traffic. The average number of flights per day in March 2020 was 145,000, which is 17.61% lower than that of 176,000 in March 2019. Moreover, after several governments around the world announced restrictions on air travel, commercial air traffic registered a 41% decrease as compared to the 2019 levels in the last two weeks of March.
Moreover, according to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) number of departures on 11th March 2020 was 22,568, which decreased by 66.71%, to 7,515 by 11th July 2020. Thus, due to this drastic decrease in air passenger traffic globally, the revenues of airline companies are expected to decrease in 2020. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the COVID-19 crisis will reduce airline passenger revenues by USD 314 billion in 2020, a 55% decline compared to the revenue recorded in 2019. This is also expected to decrease the demand for aircraft docking systems by the MRO companies during this year.
Post-COVID-19 Impact on the Aircraft Docking Systems Market
The COVID-19 outbreak has had a devastating impact on the aviation industry across the world. Post the impact of the pandemic, very few countries have allowed transportation by air. A majority of the airline companies have grounded their fleets due to a significant reduction in air travel. Global organizations, including the International Air Transport Association (IATA), has estimated a decrease in international air passenger revenues by approximately 50%.
Therefore, the demand for aircraft MRO services is also expected to decrease during this period. This is due to the drastic decrease in air travelers after the COVID-19 outbreak forced several countries to declare lockdowns. Moreover, with the increasing cases of infection, the lockdown period is expected to be extended in several regions.
In the defense industry, budgets allocated by governments are expected to safeguard the MRO companies. In 2020, the decrease in the GDPs of major economies, such as the US, China, the UK, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Brazil, and Canada, is anticipated to cause a potential reduction in investments in the defense industry, which, in turn, is also expected to decrease the demand for many defense systems, including aircraft, in the upcoming years. This scenario is projected to impact the demand for aircraft engine MRO services for military aircraft.
Due to such factors, it is expected that the demand for aircraft docking systems in the upcoming years is expected to decrease to some extent. Moreover, the investments in the development of new and advanced aircraft docking systems are also expected to decrease.
There have been 24 patents filed by the companies in the field of aircraft docking systems market, over the last five years (1stJuly 2015 – 1st July 2020), out of which 13 were in the application phase and the remaining 11 were granted.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
Subject: Chapter 3 Workplace Safety (Jan 31, 2005)
Regulation: The aviation industry is well aware of the concept of system safety. Supporting and enhancing the continued safety of the flying public underlies nearly all training, regulation, and working procedures in the industry. Most of this emphasis, however, is placed on the airworthiness of equipment and crews. Safety is also relevant to the maintenance workplace. The aviation maintenance system is not safe until all of the system's components are safe, including the maintenance workers. Unsafe maintenance system elements increase operating costs and reduce efficiency and effectiveness.
System Safety: System safety should result when a systems approach is used to address safety. It requires applying design, operating, technical, and management techniques and principles throughout the life of a system to reduce hazards to their lowest practical levels
The Health and Safety Executive
Subject: The Work at Height Regulations 2005
Regulation: This brief guide describes what employers need to do to protect their employees from falls from height. Falls from height are one of the biggest causes of workplace fatalities and major injuries. Work at height means work in any place where, if there were no precautions in place, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury. Common causes are falls from ladders and through fragile roofs. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 aim to prevent death and injury from a fall from height.
The sector information minutes provides guidance for inspectors on means of preventing falls from heights during the maintenance and refinishing of aircraft, and the standards to be applied. This guidance should be read in conjunction with OC 200/31 on The Work at Height Regulations 2005(WAHR) and related guidance. The heights involved in such work may be up to 18 meters. It does not cover access to helicopters, or military aircraft.
1. Maintenance work on aircraft may be major (deep maintenance) or consist of minor checks and repairs between flights (line maintenance). It can broadly be divided into engineering and refinishing. Engineering work involves both routine and fault correction work on the inside and outside of the aircraft. It may take place in a hangar or on the airport apron. Refinishing may involve paint stripping, cleaning and painting of all or part of the exterior of the aircraft and occasionally interior work.
2. The environments in which deep maintenance and line maintenance take place can be very different. Deep maintenance invariably takes place in hangars, offering protection against the weather and with a limited number of vehicle movements. Line maintenance may take place outdoors, often on the airport apron, where weather conditions and the large number of vehicle movements are additional considerations.
3. The access requirements for engineering and refinishing can also be different. For example, refinishing work may require more extensive working platforms at levels not always ideal for engineering work. Refinishing work also requires a space between the aircraft and the working platform and the aircraft. The need to provide safe access for all the trades who may work on the aircraft requires careful planning and often changes to the access as work progresses.
4. The hazards and risks in relation to maintenance work on aircraft are similar to those found in construction. However, the non-linear shape of the workpiece (aircraft) and the importance of avoiding damage to its skin and structures pose additional risks.
