MARPA Announces Delta’s Tony Charaf as Keynote Speaker At 2011 Annual Conference

Washington, DC, February 15, 2011 – The Modification and Replacement Parts Association (MARPA) is proud to announce that Tony Charaf, President of Delta Air Lines’ maintenance division, Delta TechOps, will serve as keynote speaker for the 2011 MARPA Conference.

The MARPA Conference is the Annual Conference for the FAA-approved aircraft parts manufacturing industry. It offers aerospace manufacturing industry professionals an opportunity to meet with customers and also to learn about the latest developments in safety management. In 2011, the Conference will take place October 12-14 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. More Conference information is available online at www.pmaparts.org/annualconference.

As President of Delta TechOps, Charaf has overseen important elements of the Delta-Northwest merger integration efforts, while managing the largest airline MRO operation in North America. He has also expressed his commitment to a continuous improvement effort that has reduced engine turn times dramatically.

“Delta’s core value has always been and will always be aviation safety,” Charaf said. “As an airline MRO, we have the unique ability to see things from both perspectives — as an operator and an MRO. We recognize that there are always pressures to minimize costs and PMA parts are an important part of that equation. They allow us to achieve cost-effective maintenance without compromising safety.”

”For each part we consider, our engineers conduct an extensive analysis of the part, the supplier and the FAA-approval paperwork to ensure that using the part will help us achieve our cost savings goals while still maintaining our existing levels of safety, compliance, quality and reliability,” said David Linebaugh, Delta Engineer and Chair of the MARPA Airline Committee. “With more than 80 years of experience as an airline operator, Delta TechOps recognizes that PMA parts are critical to the success of MROs going forward.”

Delta TechOps is the largest airline maintenance, repair and overhaul provider in North America, generating approximately $500 million in revenue in 2010. In addition to providing maintenance and engineering support for Delta’s fleet of more than 800 aircraft, Delta TechOps serves more than 150 other aviation and airline customers around the world, specializing in high-skill work like engines, components, hangar and line maintenance. Delta TechOps employs more than 9,500 maintenance professionals and is one of the world’s most experienced providers with more than seven decades of aviation expertise.

MARPA is the non-profit trade association that represents the aircraft parts manufacturing industry (PMA parts manufacturers). MARPA works closely with the FAA to help develop safety standards and tools that enable manufacturers to meet those safety standards. The MARPA Annual Conference will take place October 12-14, 2011 at the Law Vegas Renaissance Hotel. More conference information is available online: www.pmaparts.org/annualconference.