Maintenance Programme and Development
Introduction
The Operators Maintenance Programme (MP) is normally based on the Manufacturers/Type Certificate Holder(TCH) recommendations in the form of AMM Chapter 5 or MRB document. Its role is to define the maintenance that is required to keep the aircraft in an airworthy condition. The operator must then use this base set of requirements to produce a MP that reflects the impact of the operating environment on the aircraft, impact of utilisation and sector length, any additional mandatory requirements generated by the applicable National Regulatory Authority including Airworthiness Directives and tasks required for any installed operator equipment.
Benefits
Effective MP can:
- Increase aircraft availability by extending maintenance intervals and component lives.
- Reduce aircraft downtime/reduction in maintenance man-hours by extending intervals, refining tasks.
- Improve despatch reliability.
- Reduce component costs/hr by determining economic repair cost /OH frequency ie installed time /repair cost.
Aim
The Operator is responsible for ensuring that this MP is up to date with the manufacturer’s document and effective in maintaining airworthiness. This is achieved by periodic review of the manufacturer’s changes and the programmes findings through reliability analysis. This analysis is essential if the aircraft is to be maintained in an airworthy but cost effective way and typically takes the form of a report covering unscheduled removal rates of components, component condition at OH/repair, system performance measured by defect rate by ATA (PIREPS) and inspection findings. From this report, the effects of operations can be determined and changes can then be made to the programme, not only to maintain airworthiness but also to improve despatch reliability or indeed cost effectiveness. Changes can be the deletion, addition or change of frequency of tasks. Knowledge and experience of the aircraft, its systems, the type of maintenance systems employed and modification options can when applied, improve reliability and reduce the cost of ownership.
Tasks
- Production of a maintenance programme developed from the base document, to include all requirements including National Regulatory Authority and Operator requirements
- Development of the MP utilising the reliability information including inspection findings.
- Amendment of the MP to include any changes initiated by the Manufacturer/TCH, the Regulator including Airworthiness Directives and to address findings of the reliability report.
- Determination of Operational performance through Technical Delays, aircraft loss of use and acceptable deferred defects and suggestion of actions for improvement.
Vector Experience
Previously as a team, we have developed the SAAB 340 MP and more recently obtained a 12.5 % extension to the 400 and 800 Hrs (A/B) checks. Additionally our technical management of the aircraft achieved a despatch reliability above that of the SAAB world wide average.
