With 2018 expected to be another strong year for the aviation industry in the Middle East, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) providers remain upbeat about growth opportunities in the coming months.

Capitalising on the industry's performance, several key players gathered at the Aircraft Interiors Middle East and MRO Middle East 2018 exhibitions on Tuesday, to highlight the latest innovations in the industry. Running until January 24, 2018, the co-located shows drew the participation of over 300 exhibitors; and saw the announcement of several new projects and partnerships.

Turbine Services and Solutions (TS&S), an MRO provider for gas turbines and driven equipment that is wholly owned by Mubadala Investment Company, announced an agreement with Honeywell to implement the region's first voice technology for MRO services.

The partnership will enable TS&S to become the first aerospace company in the Middle East to use Honeywell's Maintenance and Inspection (M&I) voice system. Under the terms of the agreement, the global software-industrial company's voice system will lead to a 'Hands-Free, Eyes-Free' environment that significantly reduces paper based documentation within TS&S' operations by allowing mechanics to 'speak' log their observations and diagnosis in real-time, curtailing the need for manual data entry and improving data integrity.

Over the years, Honeywell's voice system has enabled organisations around the world to save $20billion in operational costs, improve productivity by 35 per cent and reduce operational errors by 25 per cent.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Mansoor Janahi, deputy CEO of TS&S, said that the company is uniquely positioned in the market, mainly because its one of a kind capabilities. "TS&S witnessed a very good 2017, with a lot of key achievements that have helped propel the business. We have also had a long-standing partnership with Honeywell and our announcement today builds on that partnership. The focus this year, and in the coming years, for us will be on advanced technologies. We are actively looking into technologies such as Data Analytics, the Internet of Things, and Artificial Intelligence."

"As we grow our operations to new markets, implementing advanced technologies that enable process optimisation are critical in ensuring that we meet our growing demand to the highest compliance standards. This announcement today is a testament to our growing relationship between the two companies," he added.

The event also saw Safran Nacelles signing a contract with Egyptair for maintenance services on thrust reversers that equip its Airbus A330 jetliner fleet, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines. The agreement involves scheduled soft time maintenance, the preventive primary maintenance performed at specific operator-chosen intervals, which can be adjusted to fit the airline's operational schedule, along with coverage for unscheduled repair services and asset management. The long-term agreement will be backed by Safran Nacelles' global MRO network.

"We are confident that our world-class support will meet Egyptair's expectations, and are looking forward to other opportunities to extend our cooperation through Safran Nacelles' lifecycle services solutions," said Olivier Savin, Safran Nacelles' executive vice president of Customer Support & Services.

 Arnaud Peltier, CEO of WinMS, a French company specialising in wire diagnostics and network monitoring solutions, that is exhibiting as part of the French Pavilion, noted that the growth in airline fleets across the ME region presents several opportunities for specialised providers. The company has been present in the region since 2012 and has worked with several airlines such as Emirates and Etihad Airways; and most recently, flydubai.

 "Global airline traffic will continue to grow as more and more people will travel," he said. "The MRO industry continues to grow alongside that. Aircrafts today are getting much more advanced; and as fleets become older, they require more maintenance especially in their wiring. This provides lots of opportunities for us to expand our operations. In addition, Dubai is a global hub that also provides opportunities in neighbouring regions such as Africa and the Subcontinent. As airlines over there continue to mature, we will continue to see an increase in demand for MRO services."