Phoenix Composite Solutions

Precision is paramount in the high-stakes world of aircraft maintenance. Strict regulations and rigorous inspections are necessary to ensure compliance. But for operators, this means navigating an ever-evolving maze of stakeholders, vendors and approvals.

Partnering with a one-stop shop like Phoenix Composite Solutions who can handle testing, repairs and compliance is crucial to make an operator’s life easier.

The company specializes in composites and manages a variety of projects, ranging from commercial/medical aerospace components to classified defense applications. Phoenix Composite Solutions focuses on OEM and MRO, offering design development, technical document-based manufacturing and comprehensive non-destructive testing (NDT). It even provides traditional mechanical testing, which covers climbing drum, overlap shear, floating peel and flat-wise tensile testing with its 100 KTN machine.

Beyond manufacturing and testing, Phoenix Composite Solutions is well-renowned for its leadership in aircraft parts repair. While most players classify parts beyond economical repair (BER) as scrap, the company takes a different approach. It develops repair solutions approved by FAA-designated engineering representatives (DER), enabling airlines to salvage valuable components while remaining fully compliant with regulations.

“Rather than discarding legacy parts, we develop certified repair solutions that keep mature aircraft flying,” says John Scanlon, CEO and co-founder. “With lower labor rates at our Michigan facility and our logistical and material expertise, we deliver unmatched value to our clients.”

The company begins a client engagement with a thorough component teardown and evaluation. If manual repair isn’t feasible, the in-house repair coordinator works closely with an FAA-approved DER to develop and execute an authorized repair solution.

“Our expertise lies in bringing older parts on par with newer material, extending their life as well as making them stronger than the original design,” says Erick Martin, president.

Building on its commitment to cost-effective repair solutions, Phoenix Composite Solutions actively secures maintenance contracts and agreements with airlines, air freight carriers and brokers. To encourage long-term partnerships, it offers volume discounts to generate significant business opportunities. Further strengthening its capabilities, the company has organized its operations into specialized divisions, each with dedicated engineering, planning, and management teams for its OEM/manufacturing and MRO sectors.

This structured approach ensures focused expertise and strong leadership, enabling Phoenix Composite Solutions to build long-term collaborations with industry leaders. The over two-decade-long partnership with Pratt & Whitney Canada is a good example, where the company produces fan cases for the 535E and various lightweight composite fairings.

Recently, it secured a contract to manufacture eight different fan case models, structuring the agreement with a CPI-U index-based pricing model to provide more cost savings. The company also helped Japan Airlines with a fan case overhaul at half the OEM quoted price and developed a ceramic composite to protect aircraft cowlings from APU exhaust damage.

These outcomes are possible thanks to the foundation laid by Scanlon and his partners, who had over a century of experience in composite structures and ensured the mantle was passed down to the new leaders. Today, most department heads have over 15 years of experience within the organization.

Phoenix Composite Solutions complements industry expertise with advanced equipment, including the rare Laser shearography NDT system. It operates four autoclaves—the largest spanning 38 feet by 18 feet—featuring upgraded PLC, HMI, nitrogen fire prevention and specialized loading systems. This supports larger thrust reversers and fan cases while offering autoclave curing.

Its in-house services include phosphoric acid anodizing, machining, painting, reverse engineering and laser scanning. Certified by FAA, EASA, CAAC, AS9100 Rev D, ISO 9000, and Nadcap (composites accredited for metal bonding and autoclave) the company ensures quality and compliance. As an ITAR-compliant, U.S.-Canada JCP-certified entity, Phoenix Composite Solutions is a trusted, one-stop destination for aerospace clients worldwide.