Airline maintenance demand and capacity

To measure demand and capacity for aircraft maintenance, allocate technical staff efficiently, and minimize overall downtime, you need to gather data across several categories: aircraft operations, maintenance needs, workforce management, and resource availability.





1. 

Aircraft Operations Data (Demand Drivers)



These determine when and how often maintenance will be needed.


  • Flight hours and flight cycles per aircraft
  • Scheduled route plans (frequency, duration, utilization)
  • Aircraft type and age
  • Regulatory maintenance intervals (A-check, C-check, D-check, etc.)
  • Unscheduled maintenance events (e.g., faults reported by pilots or systems)






2. 

Maintenance Task Data



Helps define what needs to be done, and how long it takes.


  • Task duration estimates (man-hours)
  • Task precedence constraints (dependencies between tasks)
  • Required qualifications/certifications per task
  • Special tools or equipment required
  • Parts and materials needed
  • Task deadlines (hard or soft constraints)






3. 

Technical Staff Data (Capacity)



Used for staff planning and allocation.


  • Headcount by shift and location
  • Staff skill levels and certifications (e.g., A&P, avionics)
  • Work-hour availability per person (after accounting for leave, training, fatigue limits)
  • Multi-tasking ability or crew specialization
  • Labor cost per technician/crew






4. 

Maintenance Facility & Resource Data



Defines physical capacity and constraints.


  • Number of bays/hangar slots by aircraft size/type
  • Tool and equipment availability
  • Storage and handling constraints for parts
  • Availability of ground support staff and systems






5. 

Scheduling and Planning Data



Helps in integrating the above into schedules.


  • Aircraft availability windows (downtime allowed without disrupting operations)
  • Priority rules (e.g., safety-critical before cosmetic)
  • Slack time between scheduled checks
  • Lead times for procurement of parts/tools
  • Historical delay/cancellation data due to maintenance






6. 

Performance and Risk Metrics (for optimization)



Used to evaluate and improve the scheduling model.


  • Total downtime per aircraft
  • Turnaround time per maintenance event
  • Technician utilization rate
  • On-time performance (OTP) impact
  • Deferred maintenance events count
  • Maintenance-induced delays or cancellations





Would you like a visual summary or a data model template in Excel or diagram format for these?


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