Headquartered in Leatherhead, Surrey, the UK, and with offices in Ireland, the USA, China and Hong Kong, IBA Group Ltd (IBA) was established in 1988 and has become a market-leading aviation intelligence and advisory company with award-winning expertise in all aspects of the aviation industry. With a large team of award-winning ISTAT-certified appraisers, combined with over 35+ years of proprietary data, IBA is currently a leading player in the valuations market, supporting investments in aviation. Working globally, the Group offers independent, impartial opinions and advice to lenders and investors on the value of a range of asset types including aircraft, engines, helicopters, freighters and air cargo, landing slots and spares. IBA also provides specialist expertise to help plan, purchase and monitor and manage aviation investment assets with a team which provides expert help to manage the complete deal cycle, from aircraft order, delivery, lease management and day-to-day operations to redelivery and remarketing.
We had the opportunity of talking with Nicolas Karagiannis, Aviation Analyst at IBA on heavy maintenance, with a particular focus on the Airbus A350 and Boeing B787 aircraft, two aircraft designed for the long-haul market, but also with the intent of reducing the long-term burden of heavy maintenance on airlines.
AviTrader: Can you provide a brief overview of the maintenance programmes for the A350 and B787 aircraft?
IBA Group Ltd: Both the A350 and 787 follow a similar maintenance programme, with the airframe being subject to a heavy structural check at the 12-year mark, with smaller C checks taking place at more regular intervals (around 2-3 years). The landing gear is also overhauled every 12 years, with the APU being an on-condition component, meaning that it is not subject to any defined time or calendar limit. Then you have the engines, which are split into the engine overhaul (OH) or Performance Restoration (PR) and the Life-Limited Parts (LLPs) replacement. The driving factor that determines when the engine needs an OH is degradation in Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) margins due to wear or core LLP expiry. . The mean time between overhauls is typically influenced by operating region, thrust setting, and sector length. For instance, an engine operated in a hot and humid climate on short-haul flights may require more frequent OHs compared to an engine operated in a benign environment. The LLPs have pre-defined life limits expressed in Flight Cycles, and once an LLP part reaches its limit, it has to be replaced.
What distinguishes the maintenance philosophy of the A350 and B787 from older aircraft models?
The maintenance philosophy of the newer aircraft types is that the systems are more digitally integrated, with both aircraft types containing systems within the digital infrastructure itself that continuously measure parameters in real time and allow for better maintenance planning. This philosophy is also inspired by the materials that have been used to construct the aircraft, as these are the first aircraft to be made mostly from advanced composites.
Both aircraft are known for their use of advanced composite materials—how does this affect routine maintenance tasks?
Maintenance Review Boards (MRBs) will need to understand how carbon composite materials degrade over time, how defects come to be, and how to repair said defects. However, aside from that, many other processes that were used for older models will be applicable to newer carbon composite aircraft types.
What are some of the most common maintenance challenges specific to the A350 and B787?
The main challenges will revolve around how carbon composite fuselages differ from aluminium ones. Since these are the first two aircraft types to be fully carbon composite, the MRB’s understanding of the material across the lifespan of the aircraft production cycle will evolve over time. Another challenge is engine reliability issues, which are forcing engines to be removed from service and inducted into engine OH facilities sooner than anticipated, with Turnaround Times (TAT) taking longer than expected.
What kind of specialist training is required for maintenance technicians working on these aircraft?
Alongside a necessary AML or EASA B1 license (or equivalent) that is required to perform maintenance checks on aircraft, certain engineers within the maintenance workforce also require a Type Rating to certify that the correct work has been performed for the specific aircraft type.
Do the A350 and B787 offer measurable reductions in maintenance downtime or costs compared to older aircraft?
In theory, the composite materials that have been used to construct these aircraft will offer lower maintenance costs over the 25-year lifespan as they perform fewer heavy checks (only 2x 12Y compared to the 3x 8Yr Checks on 777s or 4x 6Yr and 2x 12Yr on A330s). Additionally, the onboard monitoring systems allow for better maintenance planning of on-condition components. However, in practice, with engine reliability issues particularly on Trent-powered 787s, the addition of more frequent engine repairs are contributing to longer time off-wing and impacting TATs from MRO’s.
How do you see maintenance practices for these aircraft evolving over the next 5–10 years?
A: Both aircraft programmes are still relatively young with an average age of circa seven years, therefore only a few aircraft have had some maintenance work performed so far. As these aircraft programmes mature and more aircraft undergo maintenance events, MROs and technicians will accumulate valuable experience. This growing expertise is expected to drive process optimisation, reduce TATs, and ultimately lower labour costs.
