MRO – The Backbone of Aviation

On June 10, 2026 (14:00–14:45 CEST, Berlin) at the ILA STAGE AVIATION, Hall C, we brought a critical but often overlooked reality into the spotlight:

Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) is the true backbone of aviation.

✈️ Five years in development – six months in production – 30 years in operation.

MRO keeps the world flying.

This high-level panel brings together leading voices from airline, MRO, OEM, and research to reveal why MRO is far more than maintenance — and why it defines availability, competitiveness, and the future of aviation.

🎙️ Speakers:
• Heiko Holm – Managing Director, Chief Technical Officer & Condor Technik: Managing Director, Condor Airlines
• Harald Gloy – Chief Operations Officer, Lufthansa Technik AG
• Dr. Ottmar Pfänder – Executive Vice President of Programs, Defense and MRO, MTU Aero Engines AG
• Andreas Mayer – Head of Conversion and Maintenance, Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH
• Dr. Markus Fischer – Divisional Board Member for Aeronautics, DLR

Host: Ilkay Özkisaoglu

🧩 Three key themes:

1. Availability & lifecycle thinking – Why ~99% readiness is non-negotiable

2. Germany as an MRO powerhouse – Industrial strength, talent, and >$100bn market scale

3. High-tech MRO – Predictive maintenance, digital twins, P2F conversions, innovation

🔥 This panel reveals what usually stays invisible — the system that actually makes aviation work.

👉 Join us live on tape from ILA 2026 Berlin – press participate for your online free seat on 29 June 2026
👉 This is not a standard panel. This is where industry reality meets future direction.

🔗 Official ILA panel link:
https://www.ila-berlin.de/de/ila-stages#eventdate--MRO---The-Backbone-of-Aviation--2ea8a4a6-086d-49b6-90ff-c190fa71f0f1

YouTube Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH6DkEPM9Cc&feature=youtu.be