Matt Thurber, editor-in-chief at AIN Media Group, has been flying since 1975 and writing about aviation since 1978 and now has the best job in the world, running editorial operations for Aviation International News, Business Jet Traveler, and FutureFlight.aero. In addition to working as an A&amp;P mechanic on everything from Piper Cubs to turboprops, Matt taught flying at his father’s flight school in Plymouth, Mass., in the early 1980s, flew for an aircraft owner/pilot, and for two summer seasons hunted swordfish near the George’s Banks off the East Coast from a Piper Super Cub. An ATP certificated fixed-wing pilot and CFII and commercial helicopter pilot, Matt is type-rated in the Citation 500 and Gulfstream V/550. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Matt and his team cover the entire aviation scene including business aircraft, helicopters, avionics, safety, manufacturing, charter, fractionals, technology, air transport, advanced air mobility, defense, and other subjects of interest to AIN, BJT, and FutureFlight readers.

Editor-in-Chief

Matt Thurber

Textron Aviation’s new web-based customer portal is rolling out in phases this year for all customers, enabling them to monitor progress and manage maintenance on their aircraft during visits to the OEM's 19 factory-owned service centers. So far, more than 500 operators have signed up for the portal since it went live a few months ago.
Owners, operators and directors of maintenance can access the customer portal via web browsers running on any computer or mobile device. The portal allows them to initiate a service request, track maintenance events, order parts, review and approve maintenance tasks, view invoice history and pay for services.&nbsp;
In the past, explained Michael Vercio, vice president of product support, if technicians found a discrepancy during a maintenance event, the customer service representative would have to contact the customer to explain the issue and seek approval to make the repair, which could entail a lot of back-and-forth communications. With the customer portal, the owner or operator can instantly view details about the issue and related cost estimates, then approve the repair or ask for further details. Once approved, that repair automatically gets added to the invoice. “The customer doesn’t have to talk to anyone else to get it done,” he said.&nbsp;
Customers can use the portal to manage their entire fleet, too. The portal shows the progress of the maintenance event as a percentage, to help the customer see how the job is progressing. However, the customer can always call the service rep for more information. In a future version of the portal, Textron Aviation (Booth V22) plans to add photos documenting the maintenance event.&nbsp;
“Textron Aviation’s aircraft play an important role in the productivity and success of our customers, and the service team continues to develop solutions to minimize aircraft downtime,” said senior vice president of customer service Kriya Shortt. “The new customer portal is yet another example of how we are investing to deliver on that commitment.” Customers provided feedback to help with the design and development of the portal, and then helped test it. “The result is an intuitive platform that allows customers to more efficiently manage their aircraft maintenance.”
The portal could also help customers feel more comfortable not sending technicians to monitor maintenance events at Textron Aviation service centers. “We will continue to have an open-shop environment,” Shortt said, “and we like those relationships, because it makes it real for both parties. But if you have something that you need to do, you should be able to leave with confidence, click open the portal and say, ‘You said the aircraft would be ready Tuesday at noon, you’re at 90 percent, I believe you’re going to be done.’”
The customer portal is the latest addition to Textron Aviation’s factory-direct support solutions, joining the 1View technical publications platform, online parts ordering, same-day invoicing and 1Call support that is also now available for customers in Europe and Central and South America.

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