Against the background of a fast-changing global tariff landscape and an array of recent and imminent regulatory changes, the impacts are being felt somewhat differently around the globe, from Latin America to the Asia-Pacific region to the Americas.

Those involved in the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) sector, though, agree that they have some key strategies in common. Among these are proactive resource planning, building relationships with suppliers, and – perhaps surprisingly – cozying up to their local competitors.

Some operators and MRO providers also point to the tight hold of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) on parts licensing as a factor. Re-manufacturing of parts is done only in limited quantities and for specific high-priced parts, pointed out Michael Axtmann, Managing Director of Nuremberg-based FAI Technik.

“Even if you were approved to manufacture aircraft parts in general, the respective data is typically unavailable, and the OEMs have no intention of freely providing such data,” he said. “As a result, the parts are either newly fabricated by the OEMs or, with their approval, by third parties, or they are sourced used and repaired or refurbished. The only solution is to add more third-party vendors and to part out aging aircraft, which we already do regularly.”

In some parts of the world, such as Latin America, operators find cooperating with local competitors can help, according to Inge Maria Heutinck, Chief Commercial Officer at Guadalajara-based USMX AirLink.

“Now is the time to complement each other, because no-one can do it alone,” she said. “When we share certain aircraft models, and we’re in urgent need, we reach out to our neighbors to see what they have in stock. The sector is moving toward a ‘new normal’, where adaptability, planning, and creative problem-solving become core operational strengths rather than temporary measures.”

Special missions supply

The special missions sector, where the need for specialized equipment means fewer alternative sources, is particularly affected by supply chain issues, Heutinck added, so proactive planning and early engagement with suppliers is even more essential. Importing a critical component like a horizontal situation indicator (HSI) to Mexico from the USA takes three to five days, she said.

“In the USA, the same component could often be available the next day. This highlights the importance of forward planning in markets like Mexico where customs and other delays are common. Operators are increasingly relying on long-term forecasting for critical parts.”

Importing goods into Mexico has become increasingly restrictive, and import taxes can reach up to 51%, Heutinck said.

“We actively look for secondary suppliers within Mexico and rely more on long-term forecasting to plan ahead. Whenever possible, we try to buy directly from the manufacturer, but most of our purchases come through third-party suppliers.”

As well as sourcing parts for its own 12-strong fleet, which includes Learjet, Cheyenne, Bonanza, Citation, Hawker, Metroliner, SkyCourier, Pilatus, and King Air aircraft, USMX procures parts for governmental clients in Latin America.

“Working as both operator and supplier gives us a hands-on perspective on how supply chain challenges affect operations,” Heutinck stated.

Software built by USMX’s warehouse manager helps to flag parts quickly and monitor the health of the company’s aircraft, she said. “For example, if we suddenly use more tires than usual, it raises questions: is it a human factor, or a quality issue with the tire? If we use more oil, could there be a leak somewhere? This level of monitoring is especially important for special mission aircraft,” Heutinck pointed out.

Close collaboration between warehouse and procurement teams has helped USMX AirLink build a robust network of providers, she added.

For parts for some aircraft, though, the company needs to cast a wider net. “For aircraft like the Citation, we’re practically searching for parts from all over. For the Cheyenne III, we’ve had to source parts from Australia, Germany, and England, because in the US they’re no longer available. In this environment, it’s essential to have a good predictive system,” Heutinck said.

We purchase some parts as overhauled or on an exchange basis. It’s crucial to receive and review all documentation for these parts

“We purchase some parts as overhauled or on an exchange basis. It’s crucial to receive and review all documentation for these parts. Some parts are no longer manufactured, so we rely on certified removed and refurbished parts.”

Rising costs

Costs are also a major issue, Heutinck added. “Certain parts can end up costing more than three times their original value from one day to the next. Often, we pay more to ensure quality. This makes decisions time-critical and expensive,” she said.

Since responsibility for customs administration in Mexico passed to the country’s military in 2022, release times have become more uncertain, Heutinck stated.

“Mexico’s annual fiscal plan for 2026 includes reforms to customs and tariffs, from stricter compliance and digital reporting, which will further reshape how imports are processed,” she said.

Mexico’s new Customs Law, which came into force in January 2026, may increase the bureaucratic burden, Heutinck warned. Measures intended to improve transparency and compliance and penalize incorrect or false declarations include fines that have increased by as much as 300%, she said.

Even minor or honest mistakes can now carry substantial financial consequences, making accuracy and diligence more important than ever

“Even minor or honest mistakes can now carry substantial financial consequences, making accuracy and diligence more important than ever,” she added.

Global challenges

Located at the end of long and complex global supply chains, companies in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) face
additional challenges.

The region’s remoteness from major manufacturing hubs amplifies delays caused by export controls, sanctions, and changing customs rules that add time and friction to already long supply chains, so availability and lead times are often the first ‘pain points’ for operators. At the same time, tariffs, compliance costs, higher manufacturing inputs, and currency exchange rate volatility are driving up landed costs.

“From an ANZ perspective, operators are dealing with global policy shocks plus the ‘tyranny of distance’,” pointed out Shanaka Jayasinghe, Partner at Trace Consultants, an Australian supply chain and operations advisory specialist in aviation, emergency services, health and critical infrastructure in safety-critical environments.

Special missions operators in the region, including those tasked with air ambulance, search and rescue, police and firefighting missions, are hit harder than most, he said.

“They run smaller fleets, and their equipment is more specialized and lower volume, with fewer alternative suppliers.

“Many operate under tight public or contracted funding, limiting their ability to hold excess stock or pay premiums, and regulatory and certification overhead means switching parts or suppliers is slower and more complex,” Jayasinghe added.

Many operate under tight public or contracted funding, limiting their ability to hold excess stock or pay premiums, and regulatory and certification overhead means switching parts or suppliers is slower and more complex

Operators can cope with such challenges by dual-sourcing, opting for aftermarket parts rather than relying solely on OEM channels, and planning maintenance around longer lead times, he suggested. Sharing maintenance forecasts with MROs and OEMs can help them plan capacity and pre-position stock, while better demand planning, predictive maintenance to avoid panic orders, and scenario testing for challenges such as longer lead times and disruptions to key routes are also essential, according to Jayasinghe.

“The operators getting the best outcomes treat key suppliers as long-term partners, not just ‘quote and PO’ vendors,” he added. “We can’t control global economic policy – but we can make ANZ operators less exposed to it.”

Air ambulance and EMS operators in the ANZ region typically choose European, US, and Canadian OEMs for airframe, engines, and high-criticality parts, complemented by tier-one and tier-two component manufacturers with design in Europe/US and fabrication across multiple regions, and by specialist medical and mission-equipment suppliers, often niche European or North American manufacturers with small production runs, Jayasinghe pointed out.

“Regional MROs, distributors, and brokers are increasingly important in ANZ, as they hold inventory closer to operators and help navigate certification and paperwork,” he added. “On paper, the base looks broad, but for some parts there is effectively a single economic source. That is especially challenging when you’re at the end of the supply chain.”

Europe-based players like FAI Technik don’t have to deal with the ‘tyranny of distance’, as Jayasinghe calls it (after the classic Australian history book by Geoffrey Blainey), that creates obstacles for companies based in Australia and New Zealand. They are also less burdened by the red tape that plagues companies in Latin America.

So far, FAI has not faced specific bureaucratic problems or customs issues with aircraft parts, Axtmann said. Delays are mainly caused by lack of availability, he asserted.

“Special equipment such as medical equipment is relatively easy to source and it can be planned in advance to provide for lead times and other factors. More often than not, however, it’s the general lack of parts that causes the biggest problems – sometimes even something as small as the correct rivet,” he added.

Special relationships

Like Jayasinghe, Axtmann believes that cultivating close relationships between operators and suppliers is key.

“In practice, it is rather the personal contact and relationships that help best,” he said.

In practice, it is rather the personal contact and relationships that help best

“The general lack of parts makes it necessary to check availability with several vendors each time, and in addition different vendors for the different parts. For a mid-size operator or MRO, it is not uncommon to use more than 100 different vendors on a fairly regular basis. This makes it close to impossible to implement specific supply chain procedures.”

‘Long Covid’

In some parts of the world, the long-term effects of Covid-19 are still being felt, even six years on from the start of the pandemic. In the parts manufacturing sector, a wave of early retirements accelerated by the pandemic has exacerbated a shortage of skilled workers, according to Heutinck. Many workshops that specialized in certified removal and refurbishment closed during Covid, she pointed out.

“Since the pandemic, the industry has been gradually recovering, but I expect it will take years before supply chains stabilize,” she added.

“Many older aircraft in the LatAm region require modernization, especially in avionics, yet critical parts are often out of stock or extremely hard to find. Given these challenges, a full return to pre-pandemic ‘normal’ seems unlikely in the medium term. Companies will need to continue adapting, finding practical and creative solutions to maintain operations despite ongoing supply chain constraints. I expect that importing will continue to be just as challenging and somewhat unpredictable,” Heutinck concluded.

Others agree that the new uncertainties are here to stay.

“A return to normal is highly unlikely because the OEMs have outsourced their parts supply for aircraft that are no longer in current production and they continue to do so even for newer aircraft. So yes, we will all have to adapt,” Axtmann opined.

“From an ANZ vantage point, this is a new normal rather than a temporary blip,” warned Jayasinghe.

“Some of the extreme pandemic disruptions have eased, but geopolitical fragmentation and export controls look structural,” he added. “We expect less chaos than 2020–22, but more volatility than the pre-Covid era. The operators who will succeed are those that accept volatility as baseline, invest in visibility, planning and data, build optionality into sourcing and inventory, and deepen strategic relationships with OEMs, MROs, and specialist suppliers.”