Maintenance Planning & Optimisation

Benefits

Effective Planning can:

• Increase aircraft availability by minimising downtime through comprehensive maintenance visits that align tasks of similar content.


• Reduce costs by ensuring that there is no duplication of maintenance manhours in accomplishing required tasks.


• Avoid unnecessary loan charges and rental costs for spares and tooling.


• Structure major base visits so they are performed in an efficient and economic manner.

By optimising the maintenance programme requirements airworthiness of the fleet is maintained in the most cost effective way.

Aim

Having established a Maintenance Program (MP) that contains all the requirements, the operator must then use this document to plan the maintenance to be performed. The MP tasks are listed in ATA 100 order so there is a need to collate them into groups of similar frequencies that form the basis of the aircraft maintenance inputs. A detailed knowledge of the MP is essential to successful planning as it ensures that all tasks are planned and performed at the most opportune maintenance input. The desired outcome from planning is to minimise maintenance downtime and maximise aircraft availability whilst complying with the requirements of the MP.

Tasks

• Production of packages that structure the maintenance, these can either be at a line or base level depending on the nature of the task. A collection of required tasks can either form the LC1 (daily) inspection performed by line engineers up to the 4000 hour (C check) package achieved at a major base visit.


• Aircraft utilisation is one defining factor in the frequency of aircraft maintenance; however this must be balanced with the requirements of the MP to ensure a cost effective operation. Maintenance providers either “in-house” or contracted may have other inputs to perform or have limited availability, therefore it is important to understand the content and manage the accomplishment of base inputs.


• Spares inventory either purchased or exchanged is a major consideration when planning. The replacement of some components cannot be accomplished at a line level and therefore a base visit may be required. Equally the turn-round times associated with major components such as engines and propellers can leave an operator exposed to operational disruption. It can be seen that the availability or sourcing of stock must be considered by those planning aircraft maintenance in order that output dates are achieved.


• Some tasks require the provision of routine spares, specialist services or tooling, however for cost or practical reasons these may not be available. It is important that the planning process clearly identifies these needs so they can be provisioned for at the required input.

Vector Experience

Previously as a team, we have planned and managed the maintenance of a SAAB 340 fleet totalling 13 aircraft within budget and on time. This was accomplished at all levels; line, base, routine and major maintenance, in-house and out sourced using contracted maintenance providers.