Rockwell Collins (Booth N4000), seeing notable uptake in its recently introduced set of tiered flight-hour-support packages for business jet operators, expects to have approximately 2,500 aircraft under one of its plans by year-end, said Thierry Tosi, the company's vice president for service solutions. 

Collins expanded its Corporate Aircraft Service Program (Casp) in late 2015, adding Casp Elite at the top end, and an entry-level Casp Essentials. The basics of each program are the same: when a part needs repair, Collins either ships one out to use until the original is fixed or exchanges it for an equivalent part.

Elite's benefits, aimed at users of larger aircraft with more annual flight-hour activity, include unlimited component exchanges, rentals and repairs, as well as a four-hour response time on parts shipment requests and free shipping. It also allows for up to 10 no-fault-found instances and troubleshooting of up to three events at 10 hours per event. Elite provides customers with database updates for the flight management system, terrain avoidance warning system, integrated flight information system and synthetic vision system. It also offers discounts on parts, service-bulletin upgrades, and other Collins services, such as Arinc trip support offerings.

At the other end, Essentials provides operators with up to five component exchanges and requires 100 flight hours per year, half of the other levels. For this tier, unlike the others, only certain aircraft are eligible—mostly turboprops and light jets.

In between is the original Casp, which includes a 24-hour parts-order response time and some troubleshooting, among other benefits. This tier remains the company's most popular.

Since the addition of two additional tiers, Casp's business has been growing by approximately 15 percent annually, Tosi said.

"When you buy Casp, it's trouble-free," he said. "Exchanges are included, as well as some service bulletin upgrades. You don't worry about the maintenance of your products. You simply exchange them."

Casp's popularity comes as Collins works to integrate the former B/E Aerospace into its company. The combination is expected to give Collins opportunities to sell to operators in the aftermarket. While avionics typically do not get upgraded during the life of an aircraft, the same can't be said for the interior. B/E Aerospace's product line gives Collins more opportunities to touch aircraft after they enter into service, giving the company the chance to expose customers to offerings such as Casp or its Intertrade used-parts division. 

While 60- to 70 percent of Intertrade's business is air transport-related, it has been growing both its business aviation and defense offerings. "We concentrate on the growing markets," Tosi said, which these days means narrowbody air transport engines, including the International Aero Engines V2500 and CFM International CFM56.

But an uptick in business-aviation flying combined with still-depressed used-aircraft prices means older aircraft are flying more. "This creates a demand for used material," Tosi said.

Founded in 1969 as a Collins Avionics repair shop, Intertrade's split is now about 80 percent non-Collins parts. Approximately 60 percent of its trading is in airframe parts, but a growing demand for engine material is helping reshape the percentages, Tosi said.