Digital innovation must accompany surging MRO sector

August 1st 2023

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Investment in modern aviation maintenance software is critical for large airlines to thrive in the marketplace. Read More » Best maintenance solutions will enable carriers to guarantee high system performance, scale MRO to meet passenger demand, capitalize on new embedded technologies to improve automation and optimization and maintain security standards.

This is the assessment of IFS vice president, aerospace and defence Industries, IFS (Industrial and Financial Systems), Rob Mather, a multinational enterprise software company headquartered in Linköping, Sweden. Not only will MRO IT systems save airlines time and reduce costs, they will maximize aircraft uptime and lead to improved passenger satisfaction across the board, Mather said.

With an estimated 90,000 flights operated by 1,200 airlines flying between more than 4,000 airports worldwide every day, the logistical management involved, coupled with essential maintenance issues, presents a myriad of complexities, especially for large airlines that operate a wide range of aircraft across a huge number of domestic and international routes, IFS said.

“Of course, flying 100 million passengers every year across 50 countries and 500 routes with a fleet of 300 plus aircraft is no easy feat for a single airline. Not only is it a logistical headache, but a task that requires continual maintenance of aircraft for the largest airlines in the world, without impacting or disrupting passenger travel,” Mather said.

Passenger numbers are not only on the rise. Research from the International Air Transport Association indicates the airline industry has reported global passenger numbers skyrocketing from 2022. As more flights return to the skies, complexity increases and fleet maintenance will come under intensified scrutiny to keep aircraft airworthy.

“The choice of MRO software is more critical than ever,” said Mather. “The larger the number of aircraft, the more strain is placed on MRO IT systems capability, functionality and performance as frequently these bigger airline operators run more complicated IT landscapes.”

As the recovery accelerates, large airlines will have to address MRO system challenges, maintain cyber security and, to remain competitive, have their entire teams work in lockstep from the same data across all their processes.

Additionally, airlines must efficiently handle more than one operating certificate. “It’s not uncommon for airlines to become larger from mergers or to be a part of an airline group, so an MRO IT system capable of managing multiple air operating certificates (AOCs) is imperative,” IFS said.

“They also must have guaranteed system performance to manage large numbers of aircraft and personnel. “When an airline moves to real-time paperless maintenance, MRO IT system availability becomes mission critical. It is about completing operations in the timeliest fashion, without compromising on performance.”

Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) holds the key to support business growth, Mather said. “More often than not, small or medium airlines seek an MRO solution that is a single tool capable of managing everything across the maintenance organisation,” he said.

However, when operating a much more complex operation, larger airlines must do more than the bare minimum of mixtures of legacy systems, home-grown solutions and point solutions so the system landscape becomes extremely complex.

“Well-defined business APIs and open architecture will be critical in allowing airlines to create new applications, easily connect existing ones, or integrate new technology to gain every possible advantage.

“With a platform based on modularity, airline organizations can combine exactly the configuration of capabilities needed and connect all the pieces seamlessly. This means that any change or any essential information that enters the system, or a connected system, propagates everywhere it’s needed.”

Mather added it is no secret the aviation industry benefits greatly from technology and digitization, with digital adoption to increase in the next few years. “But with this growth, comes a complex environment which includes challenges in managing cyber vulnerabilities,” he said.

“The bigger you are the more of a target you become. In addition to the best practice cybersecurity requirements for IT systems in general, MRO platforms must focus on edge protection to prevent mobile device data breaches, cloud intrusions and insider attacks. Security must be built in from the ground up, not tacked on as an afterthought.

“Aviation maintenance IT systems designed for smaller fleet sizes can fall victim to degradation when employed for larger fleets of 300 or aircraft. If the situation escalates, MRO can stagnate, resulting in aircraft on ground (AOG) events, gate congestion and delayed or cancelled flights. In general, most MRO IT systems show signs of significant performance degradation after fleets reach roughly 300 aircraft.”