Aviation industry is full of exciting possibilities not only for pilots and engineers, but also people in more universal fields, like management, sales and quality assurance. Gintare Lapienyte who works as the Head of Quality at JET MS, a global provider of base and line maintenance services for business and regional aircraft, talks about the importance of quality and assurance in aviation, her experiences in the field and the industry itself.
The functions of Head of Quality in MRO Company
Gintare Lapienyte explained that as the Head of Quality in the aviation industry, she has a lot of various responsibilities. “My main task, as a Head of Quality Department, is to ensure the implementation of independent quality systems in the company. I can say that the most important part of my job is to make sure that the organisation complies with the EASA Part-145 requirements. Compliance is monitored through audits, which help to assess areas for improvement. I am also a contact person who liaises with Lithuanian and other countries’ national Authorities. Last but not least, I have to assess the qualifications of the staff according to their positions and make sure that they receive the necessary training.”
Importance of attention to detail
“To succeed as a Head of Quality, you have to pay a lot of attention to details and be a good listener,” said Gintare. “There are a lot of intricate tasks that require deep understanding of the procedures and overseeing organisations’ requirements.
I organise my daily activities by prioritising. The main priority is for tasks what are important for airworthiness. Also, if my colleagues have some questions or issues during maintenance, I will be there. And the rest of the time is planned for audits, reviewing of documentation and consultations.”
Quality assurance requires teamwork
While from a glance it might seem that quality assurance is a solitary occupation, in reality, there’s a lot of teamwork involved. “Only by working with a great team you can achieve your personal goals. Mutual trust is very important in our team. Aviation is a field where dishonesty can lead to disasters, so I appreciate that our company is open and honest.”
2020 in quality assurance
According to Gintare, 2020 was a very hard year for aviation in general. “Professionals of all fields of aviation were affected not only from professional side but in personal life as well. At JET MS, we were lucky, because we did not stop our operations for a long period. Therefore, our employees did not lose their knowledge and experience, but the situation had an effect on the emotional well-being of the employees. It is very important that JET MS management understood this situation and helped all staff to go through this difficult period.”
A look ahead
“2020 thought us all many important lessons that I believe will help us all in the future. While the pandemic did not change the importance of quality or compliance in organisation, it encouraged us to implement additional procedures, look for more effective ways of organising our operations.
I believe, that in 2021 we will see the aviation industry recovering. There will be no time to relax – JET MS will have to remain focused and be quick to react to the changing industry. Companies in the MRO industry are giving more attention to preparation for “rainy day” and are taking steps to ensure that unforeseen events, like a pandemic, would not have such great impact.
Additionally, we have been seeing more and more companies looking into ways to reduce their ecological impact and introduce green initiatives. I think that in 2021 we will see more of attention to becoming eco-friendly,” concluded Gintare Lapienyte.
