“This A380 refurbishment project is one of the most prestigious aircraft refurbishment projects in the aerospace industry due to its huge scale and technical complexity and we are excited about this partnership with Singapore Airlines. Our KN InteriorChain solution will be the backbone for the A380 fleet refurbishments. KN InteriorChain is seen as an innovative solution to the logistical requirements of an organisation’s refurbishment project. We developed and launched it as an end-to-end digital logistics solution covering the entire lifecycle of aircraft interiors,” said Erik Goedhart, Senior Vice President Aerospace at Kuehne + Nagel.

Through certified systems, processes and experts, KN InteriorChain allows organisations to concentrate on ensuring high standards of interior installation and refurbishment while Kuehne + Nagel focuses on delivery of parts on schedule, whether at production line or MRO hangar. Over 300 aircraft have been refurbished and are back in operation according to planned schedules via the deployment of KN InteriorChain.

Quality, safety, and precision are paramount to Pratt & Whitney. With responsibility for the receipt, warehousing, and inventory control of over 40,000 aircraft engine parts, the Kuehne + Nagel team will leverage its KNPS lean management methodology to drive efficiencies. Processes undergo regular analysis to enable cost reduction, cycle time improvements, and exceed Pratt & Whitney’s established performance guidelines.

Since 2017, Kuehne + Nagel has been operating a production logistics operation for Pratt & Whitney in West Palm Beach, Florida, to support its production plant. This latest contract is another step towards business expansion and strengthening the relationship.

“We are extremely honored that Pratt & Whitney selected us once more to manage their spare parts in the US and we’re committed to meeting their strategic goals“, said Bob Mihok, President Kuehne + Nagel North America. “It’s also great to see that our team’s dedication to providing quality, value driven solutions and excellent service to customers has been rewarded with this additional business.”

Aerospace is a key market for Kuehne + Nagel. Within the ‘’Supply the Sky’’ portfolio of services, the company has developed an integrated range of logistics services to meet the challenging demands of the industry in terms of product variety and size dimensions.

Elentinus Margeirsson, Head of Supply Chain Engineering and Technical Contracts at easyJet: ’’We have successfully worked with Kuehne + Nagel on our previous fleet upgrade. For our next 39 aircraft the complexity increases as we will work in four European locations. The KN InteriorChain solution is crucial to meet the downtime requirements and have end-to-end visbility. Kuehne + Nagel understands these challenges.”

“The release of KN InteriorChain as end-to-end digitised solution was confirmed by the market and we are proud that easyJet decided to continue our partnership relying on this solution. Addressing the increasing frequency for interior refurbishments, KN InteriorChain offers manufaturers, maintenance & repair organisations, airlines and leasing companies a unique solution to address the complex customer requirements in this industry”, said Erik Goedhart, Senior Vice President Aerospace at Kuehne + Nagel.

The modular solution KN InteriorChain includes supplier order management, multimodal transportation and warehousing as well as value-added services such as kitting, packaging, rework and disposal. To ensure cabin material, which is crucial for passenger comfort, is both handled appropriately and in line with the respective requirements, Kuehne + Nagel`s processes are certified against the EN/AS 9100:2016 standard. All rework activities are carried out by certified EASA part-145 mechanics while most disposal activities are supported by an AFRA certified partner. Monitoring and management of material flows across all means of transportation and warehousing is guaranteed through an integrated online ordering, cargo management and material management system.

The solution is based on Kuehne + Nagel’s global aerospace network, its state-of-the-art IT infrastructure ensuring connectivity and visibility, competence centers with 24/7 support and, its AOG Desk structure.

Securing the on-dock dates of aircraft manufacturers as well as keeping the planned downtime for interior refurbishments to a minimum is of vital importance for manufacturers, maintenance & repair organisations, airlines and leasing companies. With KN InteriorChain, Kuehne + Nagel has launched an integrated logistics solution actively addressing the challenges of the interior aerospace supply chain – both of production logistics and aftermarket interior refurbishments. The first of its kind solution was announced today at the Aircraft Interior Exhibition in Hamburg, Germany, in response to the growing need for frequent interior refurbishments in the aerospace industry.

“KN InteriorChain is the outcome of Kuehne + Nagel’s close collaboration with customers and our indepth aerospace expertise”, says Yngve Ruud, Member of the Management Board of Kuehne + Nagel International AG, responsible for airfreight. “This new solution allows us to provide our aerospace customers with a truly holistic approach to their logistic needs while complying with the stringent industry requirements. KN InteriorChain is another clear proof of Kuehne + Nagel’s ability to deliver customer-focused, solutions-oriented services based on logistics and data management knowhow.”

Jakob Straub, Head of Aircraft Services & Line Maintenance at SR Technics: ’’Kuehne + Nagel and SR Technics have been cooperating for many years. When SR Technics was awarded a major aircraft refurbishment project for a series of aircraft, there were new challenging dynamics to secure the downtime of the aircraft. A one day delay would have significant impact on the airline operations and passenger loyalty. Kuehne + Nagel understood the challenges. We therefore will use KN InteriorChain as a safeguard of aircraft refurbishments projects.”

The modular solution KN InteriorChain includes supplier order management, multimodal transportation and warehousing as well as value-added services such as kitting, packaging, rework and disposal. To ensure cabin material, which is crucial for passenger comfort, is both handled appropriately and in line with the respective requirements, Kuehne + Nagel`s processes are certified against the EN/AS 9100:2016 standard. All rework activities are carried out by certified EASA part-145 mechanics while most disposal activities are supported by an AFRA certified partner. Monitoring and management of material flows across all means of transportation and warehousing is guaranteed through an integrated online ordering, cargo management and material management system.

The solution is based on Kuehne + Nagel’s global aerospace network, its state-of-the-art IT infrastructure ensuring connectivity and visibility, competence centers with 24/7 support and its AOG Desk structure.

In the scope of the contract, Kuehne + Nagel is providing contract logistics and extended value added services to Leonardo Helicopters in the UK. The company manages the design, development, testing, production, maintenance repair and spares support and sales of the most complete range of rotary wing aircraft available for commercial, VVIP, security and defence use.

Kuehne + Nagel is responsible for warehouse management, production logistics and jig and tool management at the Leonardo site in Yeovil, South West England. In addition Kuehne + Nagel provides logistical support to further enable Leonardo’s repair and maintenance operations, operating on Leonardo customer sites both in the UK & Overseas.

“We are very pleased to be working with Kuehne + Nagel. As a world class provider of warehouse and logistics management services, its role is crucial in maintaining and developing our material management processes. This contract will help us deliver an ever improving service to our production lines and our customers around the world”, said John Dixon, Vice President Customer Support and Services at Leonardo Helicopters UK.

“This significant contract win expands Kuehne + Nagel’s position as the UK’s number one provider of production logistics solutions to the Aerospace & Defence industry whilst further facilitating continuing global growth into our targeted markets”, Steve Cuddeford, Kuehne + Nagel Director of Aerospace & Defence, said.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Jens Drewes, President South Asia Pacific of Kuehne + Nagel, said, “Singapore is geographically pivotal to regional trade and a very important location for Kuehne + Nagel. The new airfreight logistics hub is part of our development blueprint to deliver logistics excellence with an end-to-end solution offering. This investment complements other Kuehne + Nagel infrastructure in Singapore to create value to our customers, especially in the aerospace, technology and pharma & healthcare industries.

”Located within the Airport Logistics Park of Singapore at Changi, Kuehne + Nagel’s new airfreight facility of more than 5,200 square metres consolidates warehousing and administrative operations for aviation logistics previously housed at three different locations and will support operational synergies and cargo turnaround time for customers with time-critical logistics requirements.

“The demand of the aviation & aerospace industry is rapidly changing with rising service levels expectations, more sophisticated and innovative solutions, as well as growing environmental issues. With this investment, Kuehne + Nagel aims to play a key role in supporting the supply chain transformation of this industry,” adds Martin Habisreitinger, Director of Airfreight for Kuehne + Nagel Singapore and Malaysia.

The new facility went fully operational in early April and operates 24/7 all year round.

Our partnership with Kuehne + Nagel ensures a smooth and innovative supply chain, which is extremely important for airlines. Within the aerospace industry, delays or errors can cause very high costs, and the reliability and professionalism of our logistics provider is key to our success,” said Gustav Johansson, Strategic Relationship Manager of SAS.

Jens Davidsen, Director Airfreight of Kuehne + Nagel Denmark said: “Logistics solutions for the aerospace industry are of strategic importance for Kuehne + Nagel. The complex demands of our partner SAS require tailor-made door-to-door solutions. We are very pleased that SAS has extended the partnership with Kuehne + Nagel which started in 2006 for another three years. This is the result of the hard work of our team of experts and our long-term involvement and expertise in the aerospace industry.”  

Kuehne + Nagel develops and implements customised aerospace solutions for manufacturers, leasing companies, airlines and service providers in the field of production, maintenance, repair, overhaul, ground handling and in-flight services.