By Aimee Turner in Toulouse
Airbus has disclosed it is actively examining the possibility of launching an aircraft health management product that aims to limit all maintenance on its aircraft strictly to the hangar.
Speaking at the first user forum of TATEM (technologies and techniques for new maintenance concepts) – a four-year, €40 million ($50 million) project co-funded by the European Commission under its Framework 6 research programme that aims to cut future generation aircraft maintenance costs by 50% within 20 years – Airbus executive vice-president quality Didier Lux revealed that the airframer has recently launched global aircraft health monitoring and management (GAHMM), an internal research initiative that aims to work towards creating an ambitious framework to achieve a zero level of unscheduled maintenance.
“The aim must be no unscheduled maintenance events in normal operations and we are really pushing to achieve a breakthrough in this area,” said Lux. He added that a key area would be A380 cabin maintenance with its short turnaround times and system complexity. “In-flight entertainment must become our responsibility. We are the system integrator of all the cabin systems and we need to work in a more extended enterprise with our suppliers.”
Craig Keen, Airbus’ head of aircraft operability, said GAHMM was simply a feasibility study at this stage: “The market wants better availability and reduced costs so we are looking at every opportunity to deliver that. The concept is not new, but this simply pulls things together.” He declined to put a timeframe on the development of a future product, but said: “We will be looking at that potential.”
Dr Martin Worsfold from Smiths Aerospace, which heads TATEM, said that the Airbus initiative symbolises a “grab for land” between the maintenance, repair and overhaul players and manufacturers to dominate a market which has huge potential. “If it all comes together, it could feed into a more capable future health management product,” said Martin, who reported that the TATEM research and technology project has now identified 19 top-level requirements and is working to start applying these principles within the industry this time next year.
Source: Flight International
