Aircraft maintenance

Aircraft maintenance is the performance of tasks required to ensure the continuing airworthiness
of an aircraft or aircraft part, including overhaul, inspection, replacement, defect rectification,
and the embodiment of modifications, compliance with airworthiness directives and repair.

Regulation

The maintenance of aircraft is highly regulated, in order to ensure safe and correct functioning
during flight. In civil aviation national regulations are coordinated under international standards,
established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The ICAO standards have
to be implemented by local airworthiness authorities to regulate the maintenance tasks, personnel
and inspection system. Maintenance staff must be licensed for the tasks they carry out.

Aircraft maintenance organization

Aircraft maintenance in civil aviation generally organized using a maintenance checks system,
which are periodic inspections that have to be done on an aircraft after a certain amount of time
or usage.

Power-by-the-Hour

A Power by the Hour program provides budget predictability, avoids installing a loaner during
repairs when an aircraft part fails and enrolled aircraft may have a better value and liquidity. This
concept of unscheduled maintenance was initially introduced for aircraft engines to mitigate
engine failures. The term was coined by Bristol Siddeley in 1962 to support Vipers of the British
Aerospace 125 business jets for a fixed sum per flying hour. A complete engine and accessory
replacement service was provided, allowing the operator to accurately forecast this cost, and
relieving him from purchasing stocks of engines and accessories.
In the 1980s, Rolls-Royce plc reinstated the program to provide the operator with a fixed engine
maintenance cost over an extended period of time. Operators are assured of an accurate cost
projection and avoid the breakdowns costs; the term is trademarked by Rolls-Royce but is the
common name in the industry. It is an option for operators of several Rolls-Royce aircraft
engines.[citation needed] Other aircraft engine manufacturers such as General Electric and Pratt
& Whitney offer similar programs.
Jet Support Services provides hourly cost maintenance programs independently of the
manufacturers. GEMCO also offers a similar program for piston engines in general aviation
aircraft.[citation needed] Bombardier Aerospace offers its Smart Services program, covering
parts and maintenance by the hour.[citation needed]
Maintenance release

At the completion of any maintenance task a person authorized by the national airworthiness
authority signs a maintenance release stating that maintenance has been performed in accordance
with the applicable airworthiness requirements. In the case of a certified aircraft this may be an
Aircraft Maintenance Engineer or Aircraft Maintenance Technician, while for amateur-built
aircraft this may be the owner or builder of the aircraft. A maintenance release can be called a
certificate of release to service (CRS).

Maintenance personnel

The ICAO defines the licensed role of aircraft maintenance (technician/engineer/mechanic),

noting that "The terms in brackets are given as acceptable additions to the title of the license.
Each Contracting State is expected to use in its own regulations the one it prefers." Thus, aircraft
maintenance technicians, engineers and mechanics all perform essentially the same role.
However different countries use these terms in different ways to define their individual levels of
qualification and responsibilities.
In Americas licenses for aircraft maintenance personnel include:
 Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME), also called Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer
(LAME or L-AME).
 Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT), or colloquially Airframe and Powerplant (A&P).
 Aircraft Maintenance Mechanic (AMM).
As there will be 41,030 new airliners by 2036, Boeing expects 648,000 new commercial airline
maintenance technicians from 2017 till then: 256,000 in Asia Pacific (39%), 118,000 in North
America (19%) and 111,000 in Europe (17%).
In Europe aircraft maintenance personnel must comply with Part 66, Certifying Staff, issued by
the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). This regulation establishes four levels of
authorization:
 Level 1: General Familiarisation, Unlicensed
 Level 2: Ramp and Transit, Category A
 can only certify own work performed for tasks which he/she has received documented
training
 Level 3: Line Certifying Staff and Base Maintenance Supporting Staff, Category B1
(electromechanic) and/or B2(Avionics)
 can certify all work performed on an aircraft/engine for which he/she is type rated excluding
base maintenance(generally up to and including A-Check)
 Level 4: Base Maintenance Certifying Staff, Category C
 can certify all work performed on an aircraft/engine for which he/she is type rated, but
only if it is base maintenance (additional level-3 staff necessary)
  this authorization does not automatically include any level 2 or level 3 license.

Market

Aircraft

The Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul (MRO) Market was US$135.1 Billion in 2015, three
quarters of the $180.3 B aircraft production market. Of this, 60% is for civil aviation : air
transport 48%, business and general aviation 9%, rotorcraft 3% ; and military aviation is 40% :
fixed wing 27% and rotary 13%. Of the $64.3 Billion air transport MRO market, 40% is for
engines, 22% for components, 17% for line, 14% for airframe and 7% for modifications. Its is
projected to grow at 4.1% per annum till 2025 to $96B.
Airliner MRO should reach $74.3 Billion in 2017 : 51% ($37.9B) single-aisles, 21% ($15.6B)
long range twin-aisles, 8% ($5.9B) medium range twin-aisles, 7% ($5.2B) large aircraft, 6%
($4.5B) regional jets as turboprop regional airliners and 1% ($0.7B) short range twin-aisles. Over
the 2017–2026 decade, the worldwide market should reach over $900 billion, led by 23% in
North America, 22% in Western Europe, and 19% in Asia Pacific.
In 2017, of the $70 billion spent by airlines on maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), 31%
were for engines, 27% for components, 24% for line maintenance, 10% for modifications and
8% for the airframe; 70% were for mature airliners (Airbus A320 and A330, Boeing 777 and
737NG), 23% were for “sunset” aircraft (MD-80, Boeing 737 Classic, B747 or B757) and 7%
was spent on modern models (Boeing 787, Embraer E-Jet, Airbus A350XWB and A380).
In 2018, the commercial aviation industry will need $88 billion for MRO while military aircraft
should need $79.6 billion including field maintenance for 46.4%. Airliner MRO should reach
$115 billion by 2028, a 4% compound annual growth rate from $77.4 billion in 2018. Major
airframers Airbus, Boeing and Embraer enter the market, growing concerns about their
intellectual property sharing, while shared data-supported predictive maintenance can reduce
operational disruptions: among other factors, prognostics helped Delta Air Lines reduce
maintenance cancellations by 98% from 5,600 in 2010 to 78 in 2017.
Insourced maintenance can be inefficient for small airlines with a fleet below 50–60 aircraft.
They have to either outsource it or sell its MRO services to other carriers for better resource
utilization. For example, the maintenance on South African Comair's 26 Boeing 737s is
outsourced to South African Airways' Technical Department. Another example is Spain's Air
Nostrum operates 45 CRJs and ATR72s and its 300-person maintenance department provides
line, base maintenance and limited component repair for other airlines 20% of the time.
Airframe heavy maintenance is worth $6 billion in 2019: $2.9 billion for C checks and $3.1
billion for D checks, Aviation Week forecasts a growth to $7.5 billion in 2028 – $3.1 billion C
and $4.2 billion D – for $70 billion over 10 years, 10% of the overall market compared to 40%
for the engines.
Engines

US Air force technicians disassemble and inspects the CFM56 fan blades of a KC-135, inspected
every 1,500 hours.
The commercial aviation engine MRO market is anticipated by Aviation Week to be $25.9
billion in 2018, a 2.5 billion increase from 2017, led by 21% for the Boeing 737NG' CFM56-7B
and the A320's CFM56-5B and IAE V2500 (also on the MD-90) tied for second, followed by the
mature widebody engines: the GE90 then the Trent 700.
Over the 2017–2026 decade, the largest markets for turbofans will be the B737NG's CFM56-7
with 23%, the V2500-A5 with 21%, the GE90-115B with 13%, the A320's CFM56-5B with
13%, the PW1000G with 7%, the Trent 700 with 6%, the CF6-80C2 with 5%, the CFM LEAP
with 5% and the CF34-8 with 4%. Between 2018 and 2022, the largest MRO demand will be for
CFM engines with 36%, followed by GE with 24%, Rolls with 13%, IAE with 12% and Pratt
with 7%.
As an aircraft gets older, a greater percentage of its value is represented by its engines. Over the
course of the engine life it is possible to put value back in by repair and overhaul, to sell it for its
remaining useful time, or to disassemble it and sell the used parts, to extract its remaining value.
Its maintenance value includes the value of life-limited parts (LLPs) and the time before
overhaul. The core value is the value of its data plate and non-life-limited-parts. Engine makers
deeply discount their sales, up to 90%, to win the multi-year stream of spares and services,
resembling the razor and blades model.
Engines installed on a new aircraft are discounted by at least 40% while spare engine values
closely follow list prices. Accounting for 80% of a shop visit cost, LLP prices escalate to recoup
the original discount, until engine availability increase with aircraft teardowns. Between 2001
and 2018 for the Airbus A320 or the Boeing 737-800, their CFM56 value increased from 27–
29% to 48–52% of the aircraft value. The 777-200ER's PW4000 and the A330-300's Trent 700
engines rose from a share of 18–25% in 2001 to 29–40% in 2013. For the A320neo and 737
MAX, between 52% and 57% of their value lies in their engines: this could rise to 80–90% after
ten years, while new A350 or B787 engines are worth 36–40% of the aircraft. After some time
the maintenance reserves exceed the aircraft lease.
In 2018, a full set of LLP for a B737-800's CFM56-7B list price is $3.6 million, like for the
A320ceo's CFM56-5B for 20–30,000 cycles up from $2.0 million in 2009, while an IAE V2500
is priced at $3.9 million for 20,000 cycles but have a lower overhaul cost. The LLP parts for and
A320neo's PW1127G costs $4 million and its competitor $4.3 million for 20–30,000 cycles. For
an A330ceo, a GE CF6-80 LLP set is priced at $11 million for 15–20,000 cycles and $9 million
for a PW4000, and $6 million for a Trent 700 but with a $9–10 million overhaul against $4–5
million for the others. The LLP set for a B767-300ER's CF6 or PW4000 costs $7 million, and for
a B787-8's Trent 1000 $7 million compared to $8.5 million for a GEnx. An B777-300ER's GE90
LLP set is priced at $9 million while the A380's Trent 900 costs $7 million, both for 15,000
cycles.
Between 2019 and 2038, 5,200 spare airliner engines will be required with at least half leased.
An engine overhaul for a B737-800 costs $3.1 million every 20,000 hours, or $3.4 million every
15,000 hours for earlier variants, while for a B757 powerplant it costs $4.5 million every 24,000
hours. For an A330 turbofan, it costs $7 million every 24,000 hours, $8 million for an A350 or
B787 engine, $9 million every 20,000 hours for a B777-200ER powerplant and $10 million
every 25,000 hours for a B777-300ER engine. It costs $4 million every 18,000 hours for each
B747-400 turbofan and $7.5 million every 25,000 hours for an A380 engine.

Future of aircraft maintenance

Aircraft health monitoring

Airbus has indicated that data diagnostics could put an end to aircraft unscheduled grounding for
fault repairs around 2025, supported by big data and operational experience. Predictive
maintenance, diagnostics and health monitoring could eliminate unscheduled groundings, by
making maintenance schedule intervals more frequent to avoid AOGs and the associated
operational interruptions, ultimately eliminating them. Data or monitoring can tell that some
parts do not need a scheduled check, but a full transition to this model will need much greater
experience. With more history, examples and regulatory confidence, the maintenance program
and associated manuals could become a dynamic documents for each specific aircraft with
maintenance schedule based on operational history of the aircraft.
Electric aircraft
In October 2018, consultant Roland Berger counted 134 electric propulsion projects: 70%
electric engines with batteries recharged on ground and 30% hybrid-electric with a fuel
generator, in parallel or in series; 45% are urban air taxis, 43% general aviation and 12%
airliners. All-electric is sometimes selected for sub-19 seats commuters, and more often for
smaller 2-4-seat aircraft like urban air taxis or trainers. Electric motors will probably require less
maintenance than a fuel engine, while batteries and cables may need to be exchanged more often
than fuel systems.
The all-electric Pipistrel Alpha Electro two-seat trainer is already certified as a LSA in Europe,
Australia and possibly the US. Redmond, Washington-based MagniX is integrating a 350 hp
(260 kW) electric motor on its iron bird testbed before a first flight of a Cessna Caravan in 2019,
with a 750 hp (560 kW) Magni500 replacing its PT6 single turboprop. MagniX expects to certify
the Magni500 and the 375 hp (280 kW) Magni250 by 2020, and the Caravan conversion by 2022
with a range of 100–200 mi (160–320 km) as it is typically operated over less than 100 mi (160
km). A Britten-Norman Islander retrofitted with electric propulsion should be demonstrated by
2021 by Cranfield Aerospace before commercial service in 2023. Roland Berger expects a 50-
seat hybrid-electric airliner in 2032 with a 340 km (210 mi) range.
Maintenance automation
Automated aircraft inspection systems have the potential to make aircraft maintenance safer and
more reliable. Various solutions are currently developed: a collaborative mobile robot named
Air-Cobot, and Unmanned aerial vehicles from Donecle or Easyjet.

Aircraft maintenance checks

Aircraft maintenance checks are periodic inspections that have to be done on all commercial and
civil aircraft after a certain amount of time or usage. Military aircraft normally follow specific
maintenance programmes which may, or may not, be similar to those of commercial and civil
operators.[citation needed]

Commercial aviation

Airlines and other commercial operators of large, or turbine-powered, aircraft follow a

continuous inspection program approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the
United States, or by other airworthiness authorities such as the Transport Canada Civil Aviation
Directorate (TCCA), or the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Each operator prepares a
Continuous Airworthiness Maintenance Program (CAMP) under its Operations Specifications or
"OpSpecs". The CAMP includes both routine and detailed inspections.

FAA Maintenance Review Board

In the United States the FAA directs that initial aircraft maintenance requirements be generated
for each aircraft type in a Maintenance Review Board Report (MRBR) based on the analysis
performed as outlined in ATA "MSG-3 Operator/Manufacturer Scheduled Maintenance
Development" document (MSG-3 is for Maintenance Steering Group – 3rd Task Force). The
MRBR is an approved set of aircraft initial maintenance requirements as prescribed by the
Appendix H to para. 25.1529 of 14 CFR part 25. Modern aircraft with MSG-3-derived
maintenance programs employ usage parameters —such as flight hours, calendar time, or flight
cycles—for each required maintenance task included in the MRBR. This allows for more
flexiblity in the scheduling of maintenance to minimize aircraft downtime.

ABC check system

Airlines and airworthiness authorities casually refer to the detailed inspections as "checks",
commonly one of the following: A check, B check, C check, or D check. A and B checks are
lighter checks, while C and D are considered heavier checks. Aircraft operators may perform
some work at their own facilities, but often checks, and especially the heavier checks, take place
at maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) company sites.
A check
The A check is performed approximately every 400-600 flight hours, or every 200–300 flights,
depending on aircraft type. It needs about 50-70 man-hours, and is usually performed in an
airport hangar. The A check take a minimum of 10 man-hours. The actual occurrence of this
check varies by aircraft type, the flight cycle count, or the number of hours flown since the last
check. The occurrence can be delayed by the airline if certain predetermined conditions are met.
B check
The B check is performed approximately every 6-8 months. It takes about 160-180 man-hours,
depending on the aircraft, and is usually completed within 1–3 days at an airport hangar. A
similar occurrence schedule applies to the B check as to the A check. B checks are increasingly
incorporated into successive A checks, i.e. checks A-1 through A-10 complete all the B check
items.
C check
The C check is performed approximately every 20–24 months, or a specific number of actual
flight hours (FH), or as defined by the manufacturer. This maintenance check is much more
extensive than the B check, requiring a large majority of the aircraft's components to be
inspected. This check puts the aircraft out of service for 1–2 weeks. The aircraft must not leave
the maintenance site until it is completed. It also requires more space than A and B checks,
therefore, it is usually carried out in a hangar at a maintenance base. The effort needed to
complete a C check is up to 6,000 man-hours.
3C check
Some authorities use a type of check, known as a 3C check or Intermediate Layover (IL), which
typically includes light structural maintenance, including checks for corrosion, or on specific
high-load parts of the airframe. The 3C check may also be used as the opportunity for cabin
upgrades, e.g. new seats, entertainment systems, carpeting. This shortens the time the aircraft is
out of service, by performing two distinct tasks simutaneously. As component reliability has
improved, some MROs now spread the workload across several C checks, or incorporate this 3C
check into D checks instead.
D check
The D check, sometimes known as a "heavy maintenance visit" (HMV), is by far the most
comprehensive and demanding check for an airplane. This check occurs approximately every 6-
10 years. It is a check that more or less takes the entire airplane apart for inspection and
overhaul. Even the paint may need to be completely removed for complete inspection of the
fuselage metal skin. Such a check can generally take up to 50,000 man-hours, and 2 months to
complete depending on the number of technicians involved. It also requires the most space of all
maintenance checks, and as such must be performed at a suitable maintenance base. The
requirements and the tremendous effort involved in this maintenance check make it by far the
most expensive, with total costs for a single D check in the million-dollar range.
Because of the nature and the cost of a D check, most airlines — especially those with a large
fleet — have to plan D checks for their aircraft years in advance. Often, older aircraft being
phased out of a particular airline's fleet are either stored or scrapped upon reaching their next D
check, due to the high costs involved in comparison to the aircraft's value. On average, a
commercial aircraft undergoes two, or three, D checks before being retired.
Manufacturers often underestimate the cost of the D check. Boing underestimates the cost for
four of is aircraft, and the expectaion is that they have underestimated it for the B787-9 which in
2018 had not been in service for long enough to have been put throught a D check.
All amounts in millions of United States dollars, as of 2018.
Aircraft Extimated Actual
B777-200ER $2.5 $4.0
B777-300ER $2.7 $4.5
B747-400 $4.0 $6.0
B737-800 $0.65 $1.0

Comparison

flight hours maintenance intervals

Model A Check C Check D Check

Airbus A220 850 8,500

750 (or 750 cycles or 7,500 (or 5,000 cycles or

Airbus A320 family 6/12 years
4 months) 24 months)

ATR 42/ATR 72 750 5,000 2/4/8 years

Bombardier
800 8,000
CRJ700 series

Bombardier Dash 8 800 8,000

 flight hours maintenance intervals

Model A Check C Check D Check

Bombardier Global
850/36 months 8,500 cycles / 12 years
7500

Embraer E-Jet
850 8,500
family

Embraer E-Jet E2
1,000 10,000
family

Mitsubishi Regional
750 7,500
Jet

Boeing 737 NG 150/600 7,500 (or 730 days)

6 years (systems)

Boeing 747- 8/8/6 years (most

600/1,000 7,500/10,000 structures and zonal)
400/747-8

Aircraft maintenance technician

Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) is a tradesperson and also refers to a licensed technical
qualification for carrying out aircraft maintenance. AMTs inspect and perform or supervise
maintenance, preventive maintenance, repairs and alteration of aircraft and aircraft systems.
In the US, for a person who holds a mechanic certificate issued by the Federal Aviation
Administration, the rules for certification, and for certificate-holders, are detailed in Subpart D of
Part 65 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs), which are part of Title 14 of the Code of
Federal Regulations.[1] The US licensed qualification is sometimes referred to by the FAA as
the Aviation Maintenance Technician and is commonly referred to as the Airframe and
Powerplant (A&P).
In many countries the equivalent license to an AMT is the Aircraft Maintenance Engineer
(AME).

USA

Certification

The general requirement for eligibility for a mechanic certificate include the following. The
candidate must:
 Be 18 or older
 Be able to read, speak, and understand English fluently;
 Meet the experience or educational requirement; and
 Pass a set of required tests within a maximum of 24 months.[2]
 The required tests include a set of knowledge tests, followed by a practical test, which
includes an oral examination component, and which is administered by a Designated
Mechanic Examiner (DME).
A person who fulfills the necessary requirements is issued a mechanic certificate with either an
airframe or powerplant rating, or both.[3] These ratings together account for the common
practice of referring to mechanics as "A&Ps." Until 1952, instead of the Powerplant rating, an
Engine rating was issued, so the abbreviation "A&E" may appear in older documents.[3]
Eligibility for the mechanic tests depends on the applicant's ability to document their knowledge
of required subject matter and ability to perform maintenance tasks.[4][5] The FAA recognizes
two ways of demonstrating the needed knowledge and skills: practical experience or completion
of a training program at a school certificated under Part 147 of the FARs.[6]

Industry competitions

The AMT Society presents the annual Maintenance Skills Competition, which recognizes top
AMT teams across all aviation including commercial and military.

Applications based on experience

Applicants for a mechanic certificate with a single rating—either Airframe or Powerplant—and

who base their application on practical experience must demonstrate 18 months of work
experience applicable to the chosen rating. Those applying for both ratings must show a total of
30 months of applicable experience.[6] Many military-trained aircraft mechanics are eligible to
use their work experience as the basis for an application for a civilian mechanic certificate.[7]
Applications based on education

Applicants who attend an aviation maintenance school program certificated under Part 147 study
an FAA-approved and supervised curriculum. Those applying for a mechanic certificate with a
single rating—either Airframe or Powerplant—study a "general" set of subjects for at least 400
hours, as well as at least 750 hours of material appropriate to the chosen rating, for a total of
1,150 hours. Those who pursue both ratings study the "general" material, as well as the 750
hours for each rating, for a total of at least 1,900 hours.[8] Completion of such a program of
study typically requires between 18 and 24 months.
Required areas of study in the "general" curriculum include electricity, technical drawings,
weight and balance, hydraulics and pneumatics, ground operation of aircraft, cleaning and
corrosion control, basic mathematical calculations, forms and record-keeping, basic physics,
maintenance manuals and publications, and applicable federal regulations.[9] Thorough
knowledge of FAA rules and regulations (especially with regard to accepted repair/modification
procedures) is also expected of A&P mechanics.
Required areas of study in the airframe curriculum include inspection, structures—wood, sheet
metal, composite—and fasteners, covering, finishes, welding, assembly and rigging, hydraulics,
pneumatics, cabin atmosphere control systems, instrument systems, communication and
navigation systems, fuel systems, electrical systems, position and warning systems, ice and rain
control systems, and fire protection systems.[10]
Required areas of study in the powerplant curriculum include inspection, reciprocating and
turbine engine theory and repair, instrument systems, fire protection systems, electrical systems,
lubrication systems, ignition and starting systems, fuel metering systems, fuel systems, induction
and airflow systems, cooling systems, exhaust and reverser systems, propellers, unducted fans,
and auxiliary power units.[11]

Inspection authorization

Some AMTs, after at least three years of working in their field, choose to acquire an inspection
authorization (IA), which is an additional rating added on to the individual's mechanic certificate.
These individuals are allowed to perform annual inspections on aircraft and sign off for return to
service on major repairs and alterations on the required block of the FAA form 337. Certification
and limitations, including renewal requirements, of mechanics with inspection authorization is
contained in 14 CFR Part 65.
The requirements for obtaining an inspection authorization is that the AMT must be licensed for
a minimum of three years and actively exercising the rights of an A&P for the two years prior to
the date that the IA examination is to be taken.
Renewal of the IA rating must be done every two years (on odd years) by submitting to the FAA
a form showing a minimum of activity in which the IA exercised his or her authority. This
activity comprises either annual inspections, major repairs, major alterations, or a minimum of 8
hours of FAA approved training. This activity must be accomplished every 12 months even
though the renewal period is every 24 months.