The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Airlines Technical Pool (IATP) have signed a cooperation agreement to help airlines improve the visibility of, and access to, critical aircraft parts. This timely collaboration addresses the significant operational constraints and rising costs stemming from ongoing failures in the global aerospace supply chain.
By combining IATP’s decades of technical pooling expertise with IATA’s global technical infrastructure—including its newly enhanced MRO SmartHub platform—the two organizations aim to strengthen maintenance resilience and help airlines access serviceable materials more efficiently.
“Supply chain constraints continue to create operational and financial pressure for airlines. Addressing these challenges requires practical cooperation across the industry. By combining IATP’s technical pooling expertise with IATA’s technical expertise, we can help airlines access serviceable materials and strengthen maintenance resilience,” said Stuart Fox, IATA’s Director, Flight and Technical Operations.
“For decades, IATP has enabled airlines to share critical technical resources through pooling. The validity of the IATP pool model is even more evident during the current critical situation. This cooperation with IATA recognizes that pooling and digital materials visibility are complementary tools, helping airlines access the parts and support they need to maintain operations during supply chain disruption,” said Giorgio Pietra, IATP CEO.
The strategic cooperation will immediately target two core pillars to support global airline operations:
-
Improving Access to Serviceable Aircraft Materials: IATA will actively support IATP’s technical materials pooling programs, which give airlines access to shared parts, equipment, and maintenance capabilities. This will be paired with IATA’s MRO SmartHub to drastically improve the visibility and valuation of available components.
-
Strengthening Technical, Safety, and Quality Cooperation: Both organizations will intensify their exchange of best practices in technical operations, safety, and quality assurance. This includes leveraging prominent industry programs such as the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and the IATA Safety Connect community channel.
Complementing this agreement, IATA has announced that it will make the core features of its MRO SmartHub available at no cost to airlines through a new data participation program. Initially open to eligible airlines from participating associations—including IATA, IATP, and ALTA (Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association)—the initiative is designed to maximize industry-wide operational resilience.
Launched in 2019 and recently upgraded, the enhanced MRO SmartHub provides:
-
Deep analytics on materials availability and usage patterns.
-
Real-time tracking of parts shortages.
-
Direct identification of confirmed serviceable inventories from accredited suppliers.
“Improving visibility of available aircraft materials is essential to helping airlines manage today’s supply chain challenges,” added Fox. “Broader access to MRO SmartHub will help airlines identify serviceable parts more efficiently, support better materials management, and complement existing industry pooling programs.”
The collaboration brings together massive scale. IATP’s technical pooling network currently grants member airlines access to more than 6,600 parts across 350 stations, line maintenance support at over 900 locations, and comprehensive worldwide aircraft recovery coverage.
“These capabilities help airlines maintain fleet availability, reduce costs, and maintain operational continuity in an increasingly challenging operating environment,” concluded Essam Hanafy, IATP Chairman and Custodian.
