Bristow Fleet Management Director Nina Jonsson was a panelist at the International Aviation Women’s Association (IAWA) 26th Annual Conference. Jonsson is one of the few women in the aviation industry globally with technical, operational and strategic responsibilities, and for this speaking engagement, leveraged her expertise gained from more than 25 years with the airlines and more recently with Bristow, to share with conference participants.

The topic for Jonsson’s panel was “Aircraft Maintenance & Service Solutions: Perspectives from Key Stakeholders.” Jonsson talked about aftermarket services and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) concepts from the operator perspective, and contrasted the fixed wing and rotary opportunities and challenges. She also explained how these concepts and philosophies can be adapted to meet the unique operating environment and strategic nature of each business.

Overall, the discussion centered around the rapid growth of MRO services globally for commercial and military operators that reflects increased reliance on third party capabilities. There was particular emphasis on optimizing total aircraft lifecycle cost of ownership. For the rotary industry, the geographical distances to such facilities in general and the greater reliance on in-house needs is in stark contrast to this trend, driving companies like Bristow to negotiate more innovative OEM agreements with that total lifecycle cost exposure in mind.

IAWA is an international organization for women who hold executive positions across the spectrum of the aviation and aerospace industry. IAWA is committed to the advancement of women leaders in the aviation industry and facilitates networking events at all major aviation industry events around the globe. The organization also seeks to inspire girls and young women to pursue careers in aviation by raising awareness of various roles in the industry and through mentoring and scholarship awards.

“I am very passionate about increasing women’s awareness of opportunities in the aviation industry,” said Jonsson. “I have spent many years as the ‘only woman in the room.’ Access for women has improved a lot over the past 25 years, but there is still a lack of awareness of the career paths available to women in the industry. This is a core mission of IAWA and the reason why I am an active participant.”