New Integrated Planning Tool can save $millions in Aircraft Engine Maintenance Management

Intense price competition within the airline industry has placed the spotlight on all operating costs. Engine maintenance costs run into millions of dollars per year. JetEplan will enable airlines,engine leasing companies and engine service providers to focus on engine maintenance cost reduction.

(PRWEB) May 14, 2004 --The airline industry is one of the most highly regulated industries in the world. Failure to comply with maintenance regulations will ground an aircraft, a whole fleet or even the entire airline operation.

Each aircraft jet engine maintenance shop visit costs an average of $1.3m and lasts around 12 weeks. A certified serviceable spare engine (cost around $8m) must be available as a replacement when an engine is removed from an aircraft.

To maintain an operational fleet of say 40 aircraft involves a minimum of 80 engines plus a number of available and suitably certified spare engines to meet scheduled and unscheduled engine removals. Even modern jet engines will require a maintenance shop visit at least every 4 years.

If you could spread the shop visits out evenly over 4 years this would mean 20 engines per year being replaced and sent to the maintenance shop for an average of 12 weeks. This means that at least five engines would be in shop at any one time. This also means that at least five spare engines are required and say another three to cover unscheduled removals. At an average cost of $8 this amounts to $64m capital tied up in spare engines. The annual shop visits will cost of $26m (20x$1.3m).

Unfortunately, events in life seldom allow planners to maintain such a clean plan. Unscheduled events and delays demand frequent re-planning. This is a complex and time-consuming process.

Shop visit costs can vary enormously as critical parts come up for replacement on reaching their life limit. The consequential cost of accessing the part can be more expensive than the cost of the replacement part itself. This raises the cost issue of determining the most cost effective time to access and replace life-limited parts bearing in mind that such parts may, or may not, have useful economic life remaining.

AEROinformatics, a Dublin, Ireland based aerospace software development company, has announced the release of a fully integrated aircraft engine maintenance planning and cost optimization system called 'JetEplan.

The primary aim of JetEplan is to enable jet engine owners, operators and service providers to control, and reduce the engine maintenance cost rate per flown hour. This is achieved by comprehensive maintenance planning, LLP part replacement and maintenance workscope optimization.

The systems extensive functionality is designed to ensure technical compliance and process efficiency by integrating the functions of engineering, planning, operations and finance.

The system includes and integrates:
- Complete Engine Technical Records management including Engine Service Manual airworthiness limitations and Maintenance Schedule task management
- AD/SB/EO Management and Compliance Tracking
- Engine & Aircraft Lease Maintenance Management
- Aircraft Flight Times Update and Forecast Utilization
- Maintenance Planning including automated, and cost optimized, material and workscope development
- System generated Graphical Maintenance Plan with a powerful User Interface that provides fast reaction to, and evaluation of, unscheduled events. This includes
- Engine Removal/Installation Schedule
- Engine Shop Visit Schedule
- Engine Workscope and Disk Sheets
- Spare Engine forecast coverage
- Engine Shop Visit Report and Line Maintenance activity updating
- Cash Requirements Forecast and Maintenance Reserves Management
- Complete history of parts and events.

The potential cost savings run into millions of $dollars. The process improvements in efficiency, reliability and safety are priceless.

For further details:
Daniel McLoughlin,         
JetEplan Product Director      
Phone: Ireland + 1 457 3299
or
Jonathan Moss
CEO
AEROinformatics
USA
Phone: (US) + 858 551 1786