The aircraft aftermarket is the industry which can help aircraft owners find the aircraft spare part that they need. This is actually much more than a spare parts garage for airplanes. It is a major, multi billion dollar industry. The players in this industry essentially aid owners, be they civil or military, in the maintenance and upgrading of their aircraft.
There are two divisions to the aftermarket industry. One focuses primarily on civil aircraft and the other on military aircraft. There is some overlap in the case of airplanes which are used for both purposes. The planes serviced by the aftermarket are often in need of much more than a spare wing or a new canopy. Many of the planes in service with airlines, and with modern air forces around the world stay in their employ for decades. Think of the 737 in global airlines or the B-52 in the United States Air Force. The latter began service in the 1950′s. While those actual models are rarely in existence today, the present fleet of such bombers is many decades old.
The workers in the aftermarket industry do more than simply watch over spare parts in warehouses and put price tags on them. Each aircraft spare part does require cataloging and oversight. However, workers associated with this industry also have the expertise to assist in their installation and make recommendations about aircraft maintenance in all facets of airplane service.
The Modification and Replacement Parts Association is a trade association which represents the manufacturers of aircraft spare parts. The manufacturers in this association achieve membership by demonstrating that they make or design parts which have approved designs and meet safety requirements. Working together, these companies try to maintain a standard level of excellence in their work. Through the association, they also send representatives to companies around the world to educate about the need for safety and performance standards in the spare parts industry. They also maintain a website and issue a newsletter.