The Integral Role of Engine Stands in the Aviation Maintenance Ecosystem

Every business, no matter the industry or size, has a story, and so does the recently rebranded Magnetic Enginestands.  Operating since 2016, the company has introduced the first-of-its-kind digitized platform, supporting services for leasing, purchasing, and transporting narrow and wide-body aircraft engine stands. 

Daiva Zemaite, Managing Director of Magnetic Enginestands, recounts the story of the brand's evolution from its inception as a niche business until today, when it has been operating in an already mature market globally.

Crystallizing the business idea

The idea was circulating already back in 2014-15 among the members of management. From the start, the vision was pretty straightforward: lease a pool of engine stands, as no one had done it in Europe at the time. Upon the inception of what was formerly known as EnineStands24, I joined in 2016 with a mission to help develop the brand, bringing the automotive industry and leasing experience to this new project. 

And yet, the practices that had already been implemented for years in the car rental sphere had shown to be too novel for aviation. I quickly learned that the aviation business and its community are very conservative. The first test of our engine stand website was a very simplified version, resembling e-commerce and rental businesses, where you can complete the entire booking flow in a few clicks. What was the core learning experience? It was too easy, and the consideration time of a potential customer tends to be much longer, involving more steps.  

Another thing that was new back then and is not that widely spread even to this day is transparency, whether we're talking about pricing or availability. A user can come to our website and complete a planning phase because you can get a specific price, date, and closest hub, among other things, right then and there. Typically, such information is gatekept, and you must inquire first, which takes much longer to get the answers and proceed.

So it took us another round of lessons and tests to complete the website and get it to where it is now, which was launched towards the end of COVID. On it, you can find live data, location tracking, estimates, and even a separate section for VIP clients who have a membership with us. This way, they can make future bookings with flexible dates, lessen the paperwork, get special pricing offers, and more.

Market progression

Comparing the market nearly a decade ago to now, it’s almost like night and day. There were no established vendors or processes specializing in ordering different engine stand types. Perhaps a few smaller shops or larger MROs had their own sets, but this information wasn’t widely spread at all. Whereas today, the market has reached a relative maturity level. Even engine stand manufacturers (OEMs) themselves have business units dedicated to engine stand operations.

As we’ve been among the pioneers in the industry, it took a lot of education and awareness to introduce this business idea to the market and verify its concept. These days, not only OEMS but airlines, lessors, engine shops, MROs, aerospace logistics, and other companies have their own share of the engine stand market. Throughout all of this time, the COVID period was one of the most memorable chapters. It was one of the highest revenue and turnover chapters in our history. As many of the aircraft were grounded, their engines needed adequate stands of various types, which helped to polish and strengthen our operational flow even more.

Being a niche business in the large industry

In the grand picture of a large industry such as aviation, engine stands take a minuscule role in the so-called “food chain.” To illustrate, an engine can roughly be estimated at a 5 million euro price range, whereas a stand averages out at 35 thousand. However, simultaneously, there are times when engine stands are of crucial importance. Naturally, engine stands don’t receive the needed attention, as usually, the focus lies on reserving a slot, taking care of logistics, and the like, so booking one in advance is not always a priority. 

That said, we all know how painful, resource-wise, an AOG (aircraft on the ground) situation can be. Then an engine stand becomes a must, though if not planned, the paperwork and availability might postpone receiving it by a week or so. For this reason, we encourage potential and current clients to become our members, so such hurdles are out of the way, and delivery time is much quicker. 

From Tallinn base to multiple hubs worldwide

At first, Tallinn was our primary base where we stocked our stands, which were also part of the MRO unit located there. Next, we opened Amsterdam since it is a convenient location for diverse cargo operators and numerous flights. With time, we realized that a stand's location is key in decision-making and the shipping costs attached to it. For instance, a client recently paid nearly 80 thousand to ship a stand from Asia to the USA one-way as it was needed urgently. Becoming a member and being aware of different hubs would have helped avoid similar scenarios. 

Europe wasn't enough for the quick growth pace, so we've opened multiple hubs across the world to better serve different regions, including aviation hubs, for our client's convenience. Step by step, we have added Miami, Guangzhou, Singapore, Dubai, and continued growing. 

What to consider when choosing a stand

Besides the technical and functional aspects, one should only consider OEM-approved engine stands. Why? It’s because they have approval from the engine manufacturer itself and are always up-to-date, especially when talking about new engine releases and their adaptations. All such verified stands correspond to the latest changes and improvements. 

Another factor to pay attention to is how a company manages its pool of stands. For example, how often do they inspect them? At Magnetic Enginestands, with every stand release and receival, we do a check-in and check-out. All so that from an adapter to every little pin, everything is intact, and so our customer receives them in the best shape possible. Soon, our customers will be able to review such check-ins and outs via our app.