How do you compare your aircraft maintenance performance to industry standards?

1 Maintenance Cost per Flight Hour

One of the most common and straightforward indicators of maintenance performance is the maintenance cost per flight hour (MCFH). This metric reflects the total direct and indirect costs of maintaining your aircraft fleet, divided by the number of flight hours they operate. MCFH can vary depending on the type, age, and configuration of your aircraft, as well as the labor, material, and overhead costs of your maintenance provider. To compare your MCFH with the industry standards, you can use data from sources such as the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Aircraft Maintenance Cost Executive Group (AMCEG), or the Airline Cost Conference (ACC).

2 Maintenance Reliability

Another important metric to assess your maintenance performance is the maintenance reliability, which measures the percentage of flights that are not delayed or canceled due to maintenance issues. Maintenance reliability can be influenced by factors such as the quality of your maintenance program, the availability of spare parts and tools, the skills and training of your maintenance staff, and the compliance with the regulatory requirements. To compare your maintenance reliability with the industry standards, you can use data from sources such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), or the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

3 Maintenance Effectiveness

A third metric that can help you evaluate your maintenance performance is the maintenance effectiveness, which measures the ratio of scheduled maintenance to unscheduled maintenance. Scheduled maintenance refers to the planned and preventive activities that are performed according to the manufacturer's recommendations or the airline's own policies. Unscheduled maintenance refers to the unplanned and corrective activities that are performed due to failures, defects, or discrepancies. Maintenance effectiveness can indicate how well you are managing your maintenance program, optimizing your resources, and reducing your downtime and disruptions. To compare your maintenance effectiveness with the industry standards, you can use data from sources such as the Airline Maintenance and Engineering Council (AMEC), the Air Transport Association (ATA), or the Reliability Centered Maintenance Group (RCMG).

4 Maintenance Benchmarking

The final step to compare your aircraft maintenance performance to industry standards is to conduct a maintenance benchmarking analysis. Maintenance benchmarking is a process of comparing your maintenance metrics with those of other airlines or organizations that have similar characteristics, such as fleet size, fleet mix, route network, operating environment, and business model. Maintenance benchmarking can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, set realistic and achievable goals, and implement best practices and improvement initiatives. To conduct a maintenance benchmarking analysis, you can use tools such as the IATA Maintenance Cost Benchmarking Tool (MCBT), the AMCEG Benchmarking System (ABS), or the ACC Benchmarking Platform (ABP).

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?