A group of significant players in the aviation industry are cooperating to form a new alliance in the field of aircraft modification. As leading companies in the retrofit industry, EAD Aerospace, Envoy Aerospace, Etihad Airways Engineering and Lufthansa Technik have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to form the Independent Aircraft Modifier Alliance (IAMA).
IAMA aims to encourage aircraft owners and operators to modify and modernise their fleets through high quality equipment and rigorous inspections, irrespective of which IAMA members provide the engineering services.
Aircraft modifications, such as the installation of new cabins, connectivity solutions or avionics systems can be approved and documented through a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) offered by providers such as the IAMA members. The alliance addresses customer concerns with regard to documentation, data availability and a worldwide customer support network across different regulatory systems with various national authorities.
The main objectives of the Independent Aircraft Modifier Alliance are to agree to common standards for the documentation and quality of Supplemental Type Certificates, to establish an open, secure documentation platform for airline customers and aircraft owners using STCs, and to inform the relevant public and expert communities about the advantages of STC approved solutions.