The time has arrived and the technology is available – airlines need only embrace it. That’s the message delivered by experts of predictive maintenance, a subject long discussed by the civil aviation industry, but one that for years seemed one step removed – a goal for the future, not a reality.
The idea: that increasingly complex aircraft generate enough data to fundamentally advance how airlines maintain fleets, allowing carriers to schedule formerly unplanned maintenance, cutting delays and cancellations.
But those benefits are already possible, say manufacturers, which continue improving predictive models and algorithms.
Still, airlines face barriers to fully benefiting, insiders say. They advise that airlines let go of maintenance ideas of the past, adopt proactive philosophies and be more open to data sharing – the ultimate predictive maintenance fuel.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
