Reimagining Systemic Instabilities in Aircraft Turnaround
A Strategic Design Framework for OEM Relevance in Future Turnaround Systems
S.B. Kumar (TU Delft - Industrial Design Engineering)
Eui Young Kim – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - DesIgning Value in Ecosystems)
A.J.M. van Leeuwen – Mentor (TU Delft - Perceptual Intelligence)
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Abstract
This thesis investigates how aircraft manufacturers, particularly Airbus, can play a more strategic role in improving aircraft turnaround operations—a critical, delay-prone segment of flight logistics. Utilizing a literature review, expert interviews, and co-design validation, the research identifies four systemic frictions—sequencing bottlenecks, communication breakdowns, interface mismatches, and accountability voids—as root causes of inefficiency. Rather than optimizing individual tasks, the project reframes turnaround as a socio-technical system requiring systemic intervention. A speculative design approach is used to propose new OEM roles through three conceptual archetypes, leading to the development of the “Turnaround Futures Framework,” which maps the evolution from a defined-centralized system to a dynamic-distributed one. The final recommendation outlines six strategic levers Airbus can activate to reposition itself—not as a controller of ground operations, but as an enabler of system-wide alignment through design, interoperability, and open readiness standards.