Airbus A320 Base Maintenance Guide For Engineers

The ACM team, which carries out daily maintenance of the IFE and cabin systems installed in the aircraft, works 365 days a year in shifts at Dubai International Airport. The line-by-line maintenance line is supported by 24x7 operations and manned by experienced LAE technicians. The staff consists of a combination of employees who already have experience in line maintenance, base pops and base heavy. 

    

To ensure maximum aircraft availability, reliability and service, Airbus offers operators, OEMs and MROs a wide range of consulting, maintenance, engineering and materials management services. We operate a state-of-the-art components business center that provides comprehensive repair and overhaul services to our customers supported by our competitive maintenance schedule and commitments. A team of OEM staff carries out daily maintenance activities, including online aircraft maintenance, inspections and spare parts management. 

    

More than 3,200 aircraft are affected by the FAA's Airworthiness Directive on the operation and maintenance of the U.S. commercial aviation fleet. According to Airbus, A320 operators can adjust maintenance intervals to the A320 "s own schedule. Instead of introducing a 20-month C-check cycle spread over six years and carrying tasks such as 60-80-month checks to ensure maximum availability of aircraft, operators can apply 24-month C-checks, saving a visit to a heavy maintenance shop every six years. 

    

Factors influencing the extent of aircraft corrosion include material selection, design, component processing and finishing, operating environment and maintenance program. It is expected that today made aircraft will have fewer corrosion problems than the current ageing fleet, as significant improvements in design and corrosion protection are implemented and operators are more aware of the role of these improvements in preventive maintenance. 

    

Corrosion of aging aircraft has been described as an insidious problem (Marceau 1989). Aircraft are tolerant of neglect, and it is safe to do so without an effective inspection and maintenance programme.  

    

Aircraft maintenance is part of the process of aircraft engineering activities carried out on an aircraft so that it remains consistent with maintenance in a maintenance environment on the base. Aircraft maintenance is designed to keep the aircraft in a condition that enables the issuance of a certificate of approval for service. Routine and non-routine maintenance of an aircraft includes scheduled repairs to known problems, replacement of items after a specified flight time (number of cycles in the calendar time), repair of discovered defects and carrying out scheduled repairs.  

    

The aim of establishing controls at various intervals, the so-called on-flight and on-line maintenance checks, is to maintain aircraft routinely and not routinely. Post-flight maintenance, pre-flight service checks and overnight checks are the types of maintenance and typical maintenance services performed on the A320. Carrying out these checks ensures that the aircraft is airworthy and safe for further operation.  

    

Operators must view the maintenance plan for each flight assigned to the aircraft, regardless of whether the aircraft is in operation or not. The scheduled maintenance times for the aircraft and its operation are downtime costs. During maintenance checks, the aircraft will be taken out of service for 1-2 weeks.  

    

The concept of unscheduled maintenance was introduced in aircraft engines to mitigate engine failures. In the 1980s, Rolls-Royce PLC reintroduced the Power Hours program to give operators fixed maintenance costs for engines over a longer period of time.  

    

Before signing a maintenance contract with a maintenance provider, aircraft operators use various methods to quantify their downtime costs. This model can not only help operators determine the best time for maintenance, but can also reduce overall aircraft maintenance costs as well as overall operating costs. This case study outlines the total maintenance costs, including maintenance costs (MTC) and downtime costs (DTC) for an A320 aircraft with light C-check (e.g. C1) during the first check cycle (18).  

   
 

In 2017, airlines spent $70 billion on maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of 31 engines, 27 components, 24 maintenance lines, 10 modifications and 8 aircraft, 70% on mature commercial aircraft (Airbus A320, A330, Boeing 777 and 737NG), 23% on sunset aircraft (MD-80, Boeing 737 Classic, B747 and B757) and 7% on modern models (Boeing 777, Embraer E-Jets, Airbus A350XWB and A MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) companies have large facilities, specialized equipment and personnel to perform base maintenance, and many operators award contracts for base maintenance. These include pre-flight checks, daily pre-flight checks, liquid failures and remedies, and minor scheduled maintenance work that follows. 

    

Absorbed will help reduce aircraft downtime, reduce the time maintenance technicians have to work on the aircraft, improve maintenance planning and make a better use of resources such as hangars and testing equipment.  

    

The National Age of Aircraft Research Program (NAARC) of the FAA addresses structural and safety concerns of aging aircraft and provides certification authorities and operators with tools to address these concerns. With more history and more trust in regulators, maintenance programs and associated manuals become more dynamic and document specific aircraft maintenance plans based on the aircraft's operational history. 

    

Airbus A320 Family with a total order of 13,243 aircraft of which 7,660 have been delivered is a hit with operators as a global short-haul workhorse and has earned a reputation for low maintenance. A / B maintenance tests usually take 160-180 working hours depending on the aircraft and can be carried out in an airport hangar in 1-3 days. The A320 "s deficiency rate is expected to increase only slightly as it ages. 

    

Maintenance costs for all elements of a flight plan review have deterministic characteristics, whereas non-routine elements contain probabilistic characteristics influenced by variations in aircraft type, age and operation.  

Credit :    Rabindar Singh

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