Transition Management for Leased Aircraft
In the March issue of AviTrader MRO360°, Sergey Starkov, Technical Director at Vallair, offered advice on managing aircraft lease transitions.
The operative word is organisation. “Transitions require significant teamwork between commercial, legal, technical and financial departments. Additionally, in recent years, transition records requirements have increased. Preparation is therefore paramount.
Lessors favour back-to-back leases and will often match redelivery requirements at the end of one lease to the delivery conditions of the next one. So, it is prudent for operators to produce high-quality documentation which has the correct data and is formatted correctly. This increases the chances that the lessor will accept redelivery quickly, which prevents airlines from having to continue to pay for the aircraft in the event of a delay.”
Operators must also factor in the time and work needed should there be any planned or unforeseen MRO requirements.
Whether operators manage transitions themselves or subcontract to experienced third-parties, Starkov’s instructions are clear: “Start everything as soon as possible.”
To read the full article, click here.
Article courtesy of AviTrader.
AviTrader MRO360° - Passenger-to-Freighter Conversions
In the February edition of AviTrader MRO360°, Chief Commercial & Marketing Officer at Vallair, Pascal Parant, speaks to David Dundas about recent structural changes in global air cargo demand that have made passenger-to-freighter conversions more attractive.
Parant shares that while demand driven by e-commerce and long-haul international cargo remains solid, wide body freighters are not readily available on the market and prices are high.
“There are simply not enough new-build freighters being produced to meet demand, and lease rates are extremely high. So converted freighters will continue to play a major role for many years. Conversion allows full utilisation of an aircraft’s economic life.”
To read the full article, click here.
Article courtesy of AviTrader.
Video - Vallair replaces LEAP-1A engine on an A320 NEO for Arkia Airlines
Another Vallair take off!
Our team recently completed the replacement of a LEAP-1A engine on an A320 NEO for ארקיע Arkia Israeli airlines. Once again, our talented workforce delivered high-quality results that keep our customers flying.
Watch the process below! Thank you to Yakov Gaydar for the fantastic video!
BipTV - An Interview with Grégoire Lebigot, CEO of Vallair
Interview Transcript, English:
The Vallair group of companies was created by Grégoire Lebigot in 2003 with facilities/offices in Châteauroux, Montpellier, and Luxembourg. There are two major sectors: aeronautical maintenance, which includes 240 employees (120 in Montpellier / 120 in Châteauroux). The remaining team work on asset management activities, spare parts sales, and aircraft conversion focusing on Airbus A320 / Airbus A330 / Boeing 737. The new state-of-the-art hangar in Châteauroux can house the Airbus A380, but also several A330s, and up to 5 or 6 Airbus A320s. There are only about 20 hangars of this size worldwide.
What is your expertise?
Vallair intervenes after the aircraft are manufactured; they need constant maintenance before every take-off and after every landing. This ranges from “line maintenance” performed at major airports like Paris Orly or Charles de Gaulle, to “base maintenance,” which requires hangars for heavier maintenance visits – up to 10,000 or 15,000 hours of work per plane – and which sometimes ground an aircraft for several months.
Do you resell parts, for example to Safran, a large company in Issoudun?
Yes, in parallel, Vallair has an asset management activity that consists of buying mature aircraft, dismantling them in Châteauroux, and trading the parts. This includes Safran, with whom we have a strong partnership. We sell them landing gears, but they also send us customers so that landing gears can be replaced in our hangars.
Have you experienced any disruptions regarding the health of the company?
We had very strong post-COVID growth in 2022, 2023, and 2024, with turnover in the industrial sector rising from US$20 million to US$57 million. Then, there was a “correction” year in 2025, where we went from US$57 million to less than US$40 million – it was quite brutal. This is the nature of air transport; the cycles can be quite sudden.
Were there fewer flights?
No, perhaps even more. After COVID, there was a “maintenance bubble,” meaning that many airlines had delayed their maintenance programmes because planes weren’t flying, or were flying less. When things re-started post-COVID, maintenance needs were very significant, which supported our growth and was very welcome, especially as we had leased this hangar for 15 years. However, 2025 saw a rather sharp slowdown, which is typical of what we see in air transport. You have to balance maintenance with other activities like aircraft conversion and aviation customers other than airlines. We also need to manage the seasonality phenomenon. Airlines fly in the summer – from March 31 to October 30 – and prefer to schedule maintenance during the winter. So, at Vallair we must have high capacity in the winter and find other projects for the summer.
What is your forecast for the coming years?
2026 will be a year of steady consolidation, and we are very confident about returning to stability by 2027. Airbus and Boeing are delivering more planes every day; airlines have never needed aircraft as much as they do now. The global fleet is ageing – the average age of an aircraft is 15 years today. Therefore, the more mature a plane is, the more maintenance it requires. Even if, regarding the post-COVID situation, the “good resolutions” are behind us and European airlines may be inclined to outsource their maintenance further East or further South, we remain confident.
You have a message to get across: training is very important to you?
Training is essential in these professions, which are, of course, highly regulated, standardised, and monitored which is also vital. Training is the key to stabilising an activity and making it sustainable. Training a technician takes 5 years; a pilot takes 18 months, but a technician takes 5 years. A technician becomes an expert with 10 or 15 years of experience. So, investing now is very unrewarding because we will only reap the rewards in 5 or 10 years’ time. But it is essential, so we rely on our own training school called “Aircraft Academy,” which has its own Airbus A321 to allow us to be more agile with training. As you can imagine, allowing apprentice technicians to learn their trade on our customers’ planes is complicated.
If there are young people listening to us, what types of profiles are you looking for?
We are looking for “Bac Professionnel” (vocational high school diploma), and the CAP or BEP tracks also work. Also, we have a good partnership with Greta and the Blaise Pascal high school. We are capable of taking a young person who has never seen an airplane in their curriculum – for example, from an industrial vocational background – and we will turn them into an aircraft technician. After a few years, they will have a “Part 66” licence, which will allow them to certify their own work and that of their colleagues.
Are you planning on keeping them in the region?
Yes, that is essential. We invest heavily; it represents thousands of hours of training. A technician spends about 20% of their time in training, either through initial training or what we call recurrent training. Every time a technician works on a new type of aircraft, it requires new training with a full associated programme. For us, it is essential to be able to keep them with us for as long as possible.
Does that also contribute to the attractiveness of this region?
Exactly.
A final message?
Many talk about the re-industrialisation of our country, and at Vallair, we are actually doing it. It’s a big challenge, a daily battle, but I am deeply committed to it; for me, it is very important. We cannot leave our territory or our country abandoned and simply accept that all these activities will eventually go elsewhere.
We thank you very much for stopping by our studios.
To read watch the full interview in French on BipTV, click here.
Inflight - A High Value Harvest
In the January/February edition of Inflight magazine, Vallair Chief Commercial & Marketing Officer, Pascal Parant, spoke about the increasing numbers of younger aircraft being acquired for teardowns.
“Whilst tearing down older aircraft is the norm, we are seeing that younger models are being torn down to release valuable USM to the market,” explains Parant. “The youngest aircraft I’ve seen town down were some two-year-old A318s in the US. There was also a ‘famous’ 787-8 that remained awaiting conversion for a long time before it was eventually torn down with less than 80 flying hours.”
He also considers that the value of newer airframes over old can be attributed to the rapid evolution of airliner cabins. “Cabin components reflect how much has changed over the past decade or so. Seats are slimmer, newer materials are used, and traditional lighting has been replaced with LED. Therefore, older, dated cabin material might not be worth reclaiming, making newer airframes more attractive for harvesting cabin USM.”
To read the full article, click here.
Article courtesy of Inflight.
AviTrader MRO360° - MRO and Sustainability
In the January issue of AviTrader MRO360°, Pascal Parant, Chief Commercial & Marketing Officer at Vallair, spoke about sustainability in the MRO sector.
Speaking to David Dundas, Parant puts everything into perspective as he makes the case for the aviation industry doing more for the planet than you might think.
“Aviation accounts for around 2-2.5% of global CO2 emissions. However, we do not need anyone to tell us to reduce our carbon footprint. The aviation industry is already striving for a better planet. Innovations in the field have sustainability at the forefront: each new aircraft generation delivers roughly a 20% reduction in fuel burn and new composite airframes which require less maintenance will have smaller CO2 footprints.”
For MROs, the greatest environmental impacts originate from the running of maintenance facilities, including lighting and temperature control; the transport of large components such as nacelles and engines; and running engine tests, which burn jet fuel.
Parant’s attitude to reducing the environmental impact of the MRO sector is clear: “Be ethical. Be reasonable. Be responsible.”
He elaborates with advice to colleagues in the industry: “Go regional. Keep your maintenance not too far away from your FBO. Accept that paying more for maintenance close to home can reduce your CO2 footprint. Additionally, keep in mind that when a part is manufactured, it generates CO2, and use USM where possible.”
To read the full article, click here.
Article courtesy of AviTrader.
Vallair welcomes you to MRO Middle East
Meet the us in Dubai at MRO Middle East!
Visit Booth #2540 to learn more about our MRO | ASSETS | TRAINING services.
We’ll be there from Wednesday 4th – Thursday 5th February.
Visit mromiddleeast.aviationweek.com/en/home for more information.
LARA - Tackling the MRO Skills Shortage
In the December issue of LARA, Rachel Hugonnet, Director of Workforce & Training at Vallair and CEO of Aircraft Academy, shares the Vallair Group approach to tackling the MRO skills shortage.
Speaking to Rob Munro, Hugonnet highlights Aircraft Academy’s Structured On-Job Training (SOJT) model, which provides an exceptional pathway for trainees to enter the workforce with immediately applicable skills.
“The SOJT, delivered through Vallair’s EASA Part 145 MRO, provides Aircraft Academy trainees with exceptional exposure to real-world maintenance operations,” she explains. “Rather than completing their practical modules in a simulated environment, our students are fully immersed within Vallair’s live maintenance facilities, working alongside experienced engineers on commercial aircraft projects.”
The hands-on engagement seamlessly blends Part 147 theory with practical, Part 145-compliant expertise. Vallair’s dual-facility approach also ensures trainees gain a comprehensive understanding of maintenance requirements across different operational scales and aircraft types. The result is a graduate cohort that is workforce-ready, a testament to Vallair’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of aircraft technicians.
To read the full article, click here.
Article courtesy of LARA.
MRO Management - 2025 Review/2026 Outlook & Circular-Economy in Modern Aircraft Retirement
Vallair Group Chief Commercial & Marketing Officer, Pascal Parant, contributed expert insights to two articles in the November/December edition of MRO Management.
In the first article, Parant looks back at 2025 and ahead to 2026 for the MRO sector. “Despite strong demand, 2025 has been a difficult year for MRO businesses. There has been a dramatic drop in lease transitions, from 30 annually to just two or three, as airlines extend leases due to delayed delivery of new aircraft and engine maturity issues.”
Revenue models have also changed at the expense of MROs, he highlights. “If operators can generate another month of revenue, they will do so, even if it means sacrificing MRO slot commitments.” However, lease transitions are expected to rebound in the winter season, as aircraft that have been in extended service will be due to come down for maintenance, with many operators already securing slots. “At Vallair, we see a positive turning point ahead and anticipate that 2026 will be significantly stronger.”
To read the full article, click here.
In the second article, Parant sheds light on the benefits of circular economy principles. Following up on his discussion on the USM panel at PAM Dublin, Parant shares the environmental and financial advantages of using overhauled components. “Today, up to 95% of an aircraft’s mass can be reused, recycled or valorised, from which operators can reap rewards,” he explains. “Using USM reduces CO2 emissions by 50-90%, whilst an end-of-life narrowbody can generate USD 2.5-8 million in recovered value. Amid global shortages, returns can be realised within 6-12 months.”
He goes on to clarify that choosing the right MRO and asset management provider will support aircraft through their full lifecycle. Vallair specifically offers a vertically integrated model which includes P2F conversions that extend aircraft life by 15+ years, ensuring each aircraft delivers maximum value and minimal environmental impact.
To read the full article, click here.
Articles courtesy of MRO Management.
AviTrader MRO360° - Ensuring the Cost-Effectiveness of Aircraft Heavy Checks
In the November issue of AviTrader MRO360°, Pascal Parant, Chief Commercial & Marketing Officer at Vallair, offered insights into the economics of C- and D- checks.
Speaking to David Dundas, Parant explains that the main cost drivers of these heavy checks are highly skilled labour and hangar fees, which MRO providers must charge in order to offset any zero-stress waiting periods on aircraft.
He also offers advice on keeping costs under control for operators. “Securing the right slot at the right time is essential,” he says. Much like airlines, MRO prices are higher during peak seasons, so operators who can schedule schedule heavy checks during traditionally quieter periods usually obtain better pricing”.
Additionally, Parant reveals “manpower is critical to success,” citing estimates which suggest 700,000 new maintenance technicians will be needed globally over the next 10-15 years. He highlights Vallair’s dedication to training the next generation of mechanics through its training platform, Aircraft Academy.
On the integration of AI, digital checks, and paperless documentation, Parant supplies succinct insight: “These technologies increase speed and improve efficiency. However, implementation costs are significant, and not all MROs can transition immediately.”
Lastly, Parant shares what he would introduce into the heavy maintenance check process. “I would create a full-airframe scanner capable of identifying corrosion, structural issues, and impact repairs months before the check, allowing optimal planning and provisioning. I would also deploy robotic support units to assist technicians.”
To read the full article, click here.
Article courtesy of AviTrader.