Maintenance: The art of Keeping Aircraft Flying

The market for aircraft and helicopter maintenance and overhaul is currently split in two. While companies specialised in the maintenance of general aviation aircraft and business jets are expanding, maintenance companies for airliners do not have enough orders. But the overall outlook for the industry is positive, even if the future holds some challenges.

Whether aircraft fly or not, aircraft maintenance remains a necessity. Owners and operators are obliged to keep their airplanes in airworthy condition. Following is an overview of the maintenance scene in the different aviation sectors…

The pictures went around the world: with the outbreak of the Corona crisis at the beginning of 2020 and the massive slump in civil air traffic, thousands of commercial aircraft stood idle on the aprons — and in some cases on runways that had been temporarily converted into parking areas.

Where there is no flying, there is no need for maintenance and overhaul services, one would think. But this is not the case, because even parked aircraft need to be looked after and regularly maintained. Even mothballing an aircraft for a longer period is labour-intensive and requires technical specialists.

That is why the airline industry’s maintenance companies still had work to do at the beginning of the pandemic. But, as the crisis progressed, maintenance operations for commercial aircraft were also hit hard and some had to reduce capacity and lay off staff.