Minimization of Aircraft Maintenance Cost (Case in Ethiopian Airlines Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) division)
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Date
2018-07
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AAU
Abstract
The demand for air transport has increased recently. Sophisticated systems like aircraft systems operate
under high reliability and safety requirements due to the existence of complex technology involvement
and lethal consequences to the passengers in case of a single sub-system failure. The maintenance system
of such complex systems usually consists of a variety of maintenance strategies, such as preventive
maintenance, corrective maintenance, condition-based maintenance and so on. There has been the usual
approach at Ethiopian MRO reliability department that investigates on how to minimize aircraft flight
delay. Majority of the investigation detailed to the level of identifying specific components and the final
recommendation is escalating or deescalating the maintenance program. However, the uniqueness of this
research on the case company is that it analyses on how to minimize Ethiopian airlines direct operating
cost, particularly maintenance cost. The academic and/or the aviation industry gain of this research is
through a detailed literature review, referencing majority of the IATA’s MCTF report, aviation related
research articles, interview, and direct observations as employee, identify the major problem drivers using
actual data, and strive to manage scientifically, using models and for the industry investigating methods to
minimize those cost drivers. This research paper developed a multi-criteria decision making mathematical
model for aircraft maintenance planning decision support in preparation of aircraft spare, based on the two
contradicting objective functions of minimizing maintenance cost and maximizing quality. Lexicographic
goal programming used to solve the problem. The feasibility of the model and algorithm is verified by the
case company data
Description
Keywords
Aircraft Maintenance Cost, Ethiopian Airlines, MRO