ADA Millennium Seals Major Canadian MRO Deal

The newly-established ADA Millennium – the management consultancy joint venture between Abu Dhabi Aviation and the UK's jcba – says it has secured a major restructure and performance improvement contract for a leading Canadian MRO and that its business pipeline includes projects in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Europe.

“We are in the early stages but the synergies between jcba and Abu Dhabi Aviation are paying off,” said John Bowell, ADA Millennium’s Managing Director. “The Canadian contract, which is with one of the world’s largest MRO organisations, came through collaboration with Abu Dhabi Aviation.”

Bowell says the company is now involved with five projects in Abu Dhabi, two in Dubai and one in Saudi Arabia all “predominantly around performance improvement through cost reduction and restructuring, and also looking at ways to improve the sales process and increase revenue generation.” Specific client names, he says, cannot be disclosed due to confidentiality agreements “unless we persuade them to make joint announcements.”

And, again through collaboration with Abu Dhabi Aviation, the company says it’s now sealed “a contract with a lucrative European six-star hotel group.”

Bowell says the hospitality contract is not outside ADA Millennium’s original rationale. “We always intended our work to go beyond aviation,” he says and points to a company website that offers services to the aviation, hospitality, manufacturing, private equity and oil and gas sectors.

Performance improvement is now in much demand in the aviation sector and, according to Bowell, is a trend that will run through 2016. “Look at what’s happening to oil prices – people are now becoming increasingly cost-conscious. Other trends will be heightened security for airlines and airport operators and we will see a lot more investment in security measures and systems. Security is now in the public consciousness and there’s a demand for robust, comprehensive systems, not draconian measures. There needs to be more integration between the needs of airports, airlines and customers.”

And, the Bowell crystal ball also suggests increasing market share for low cost carriers during 2016 and the likelihood of more low cost carriers entering the Middle East market. “We know of one current feasibility study being carried out for a low cost operator in the region because we have provided input into the business plan – and there will be more than one in the region.”

Bowell also believes the aviation industry will become more customer-friendly in the coming two years and forecasts some major operational changes. “IFE will disappear. Passengers want to be more interactive on the airliner. The mobility systems coming into play mean the carriers will know more about customer’s requirements and the systems will interact with safety requirements, which will be an interesting dynamic running through 2016 and 2017.”