EirTrade Aviation’s director of sales and purchasing James Grey tells us that providing immediate access to parts pooling with high quality and in-demand components means a stress-free experience for customers.
What advantages does parts pooling offer EirTrade Aviation’s customers?
The main benefits for our customers lie in the convenience of having access to the highest quality, most in-demand and most valuable parts with EASA/FAA certifications readily available for shipping from a major EU hub.
Aircraft On Ground (AOG) support must provide a swift and efficient service for airlines when they are under a lot of pressure to maintain operations, therefore well-organised parts pooling activity becomes crucial for them in ensuring minimal downtimes and avoiding substantial costs.
What role at EirTrade Aviation do you play in shaping the company’s parts pooling activity?
My role as the director of sales and purchasing is to ensure airlines and customers have access to immediate replacement of high demand parts by monitoring market trends, building strategic partnerships and ensuring that we are providing cost-effective solutions that align with their expectations.
It is crucial that the parts we are adding to the pool not only meet customer specifications, but that they also have the correct paperwork and are available immediately; a right part, right place, and up-to-standards approach is imperative.
What reputation does EirTrade Aviation have when it comes to being a specialist inventory stockist?
We have built a fantastic reputation as a quality supplier for many airlines and MROs since our foundation in November 2010.
Having gone through significant growth recently, we are now investing heavily into our own stock, sourcing material for our AOG / exchange pools and actively working on building our reputation as both a leading global stockist and distributor.
Can you talk us through the process of buying parts and how often is inventory added?
We have access to an extensive sales history that we rely on to judge market trends. We are also fortunate to have very close relationships with our top customers and use their feedback and buying patterns to analyse which parts are going to be most in demand.
We also closely monitor our stock levels on the ‘tier 1’ units and when those are depleted, we are immediately back out in the market to source more.
We also have a fantastic and dedicated purchasing team that is constantly working to keep our stock of AOG components ready and available for our customers, whilst also ensuring the parts we are procuring meet both our quality assurance standards and those of our customers.
EirTrade Aviation’s facilities are close to Dublin Airport; what benefits does this bring?
Having immediate access to a major hub such as Dublin Airport is a huge advantage for both our programmes and those of our customers.
Supporting AOGs requires fast and reliable delivery, so being situated close to the airport helps to eliminate shipping delays.
Our experienced operations team and our close relationships with freight forwarders allows us to quickly find solutions for any critical situation.
Do you think it is fair to say that EirTrade Aviation can take the worry out of parts inventories for airlines?
Absolutely, this is one of our main aims. Having the pool material available for exchanges means we can offer highly competitive prices without the worry of costly increases in inventory.
Additionally, we provide high-quality repair management services, so unserviceable cores are returned to service quickly, efficiently, and in a cost-effective manner – all whilst maintaining EirTrade Aviation’s high quality assurance standards.
So, quality control must be a fundamental element of your activity; how do you navigate these stringent approvals policies and make sure the right checks are carried out?
Quality control is essential; without this the parts have no value.
We pride ourselves on stocking the highest quality material with EASA/FAA approved certificates and complete traceability. Our tech department plays such an important role here; nothing comes into our stock without their approval. This in turn means our customers know they don’t need to worry when transacting with us – we have already done the hard work for them.
Is tech and digitalisation playing a role in your activities?
Yes, we are currently using the AvSight software platform which provides an extensive reporting functionality.
We also utilise the combined decades of experience within our sales, purchasing and asset management teams to construct internal and external systems to maximise value from our pooling and exchange agreements.
These combined factors give EirTrade Aviation a competitive advantage when researching which components we need and at what price.
What do you think the continued value of parts pooling will be for the industry going forward?
We are confident that pooling and exchange pooling is going to be crucial for the future success of the industry. The difficulties the parts industry faces, for instance with long lead-times, delays with piece parts and rising costs, means airlines need partners like EirTrade Aviation who can reliably support them at a moment’s notice.
Our recent investments, strategic partnerships and a wealth of industry experience means we are poised to play an even bigger role in this sector, and to continue to develop as it grows.
More about James Grey…
A lifelong aviation enthusiast, Grey has extensive experience in the parts trading industry collaborating with airlines, MROs and leasing companies.
Grey began his journey at EirTrade Aviation as a sales administrator, where he quickly progressed to roles of increasing responsibility.
Prior to his current position, Grey was sales manager and sales and purchasing manager, showcasing his strategic leadership and adeptness in driving sales initiatives.
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