Aircraft maintenance checks using critical chain project path

Abstract

Purpose-Aircraft operators incur significant costs when an aircraft is taken out of service for maintenance. This paper presents a method for reducing time duration of aircraft maintenance checks using critical chain project management (CCPM) principle. Design/methodology/approach-A case study of a typical heavy maintenance check performed on an Airbus 320 aircraft is undertaken for the analysis. The critical chain method is applied to develop a plan with a reduced duration and a survey and field observations to validate the findings have also been carried out as a part of this study. Findings-The paper compares the traditional project management method with CCPM in view of reducing the aircraft down time duration for maintenance. This study repositions buffers and other techniques to shorten the chain path and a reduction in the total duration of the project by 5 days is achieved. Research limitations/implications-It is argued that application of CCPM principle can reduce the duration of an aircraft maintenance check, but this study is done in a single project situation focusing on project planning and execution. Therefore, additional study may be required to examine other issues. Originality/value-Cost of the maintenance is second highest expenditure factor for an airline operator. Therefore, it is necessary to drive the maintenance cost down. The paper demonstrates that the duration of a maintenance check can be reduced by 8.9% using the method suggested in this study.

A Novel Method of Developing Construction Projects Schedule under Rework Scenarios

“…Whereas, as projects become more complex and diversified prevalently, practitioners and scholars have felt unsatisfied with these methods and gradually vacillated their trust due to certain obsolete assumptions [37,38]. As the mainstream project scheduling technique in many fields [39], the CCPM takes advantages of the theory of constraints (TOC) and strengthens the schedule development considering rework by setting three major types of buffer on the basis of CPM [40], which realizes the integration management of uncertainties in the project. Furtherly, various factors affecting the size of buffers were identified including managerial experience, project circumstances, personnel, and so on [41].…”

Planning of Aircraft Fleet Maintenance Teams

“…This simulation allows feature extraction about the team allocation, ordered triple per skills (systems, structures, and avionics) of technicians that accomplish the maintenance of a percentage of the total amount of the sampled scenarios. For instance, the SRJ 1 needs a team with the triple (9,6,3) technicians to complete at least 50% of the sampled population highlighted in orange, a team of technicians with the triple (13,8,4) to complete at least 90% of the sampled population highlighted in yellow, and a team of technicians with the triple (16,11,6) to complete 100% of the sampled population highlighted in green, but this last allocation is infeasible due to the confined space for this aircraft, i.e., the maximum number of 25 technicians at work is exceeded. The SRJ 2 needs teams of technicians with the triple (9, 5, 3), (13,7,4), and (16,10,6) to complete at least 50% (orange), 90% (yellow), and precisely 100% (green) of the sampled population, respectively, but the last team allocation is infeasible.…”

“…Lines of investigation about aircraft MROs aim to reduce aircraft downtime by applying maintenance work scheduling methodologies [8,9], to reduce maintenance costs [10,11], and to create new strategies to improve components and systems reliability [12]. Maintenance activities must comply with specific procedures issued by the manufacturers of aircraft, engines, and components while synchronizing all the resources, such as parts, tools, and technicians.…”

Scheduling Challenges within Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Operations in the Civil Aviation Sector

“…Managers can help in this regard by directing maintenance operators (based on their skills) and splitting the maintenance task down into several parts, thus enabling operators to choose those parts/tasks they are familiar with. However, operators may face multi-task and multi-project environments that affect the maintenance project strategy [19]. Moreover, employers who have responsibility for aircraft maintenance tasks could encounter scheduling problems because operators work under multiple work orders and environmental conditions [20].…”