A novel decision support system for optimizing aircraft maintenance check schedule and task allocation

Abstract

Modern aircraft have thousands of parts, systems, and components that need to be recurrently inspected or replaced. To keep the fleet airworthy, maintenance planners have to schedule the maintenance checks for each aircraft and the associated tasks. In practice, these two complex problems are solved following the experience of planners, resulting in sub-efficient solutions. This paper presents the first decision support system (DSS) developed for optimizing both aircraft maintenance check schedule and task allocation. The DSS integrates aircraft maintenance check scheduling, task allocation to each maintenance check, and shift planning in the same framework. The practical relevance of the DSS is illustrated through three test cases. The results show that the DSS can be used not only to optimize maintenance plans but also to study future maintenance policies. The results reveal substantial improvements in all key performance indicators compared with the planning approach followed by a partner airline.