Aircraft maintenance checks using critical chain project path

Purpose – Aircraft operators incur significant costs when an aircraft is taken out of service for maintenance. The purpose of this paper is to present a method for reducing time duration of aircraft maintenance checks using critical chain project management (CCPM) principle. Design/methodology/appro...

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Main Authors: Kulkarni, A., Yadav, D., Nikraz, Hamid
Format: Journal Article
Published: 2017
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/58880
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author Kulkarni, A.
Yadav, D.
Nikraz, Hamid
author_facet Kulkarni, A.
Yadav, D.
Nikraz, Hamid
author_sort Kulkarni, A.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Purpose – Aircraft operators incur significant costs when an aircraft is taken out of service for maintenance. The purpose of this paper is to present a method for reducing time duration of aircraft maintenance checks using critical chain project management (CCPM) principle. Design/methodology/approach – A case study of a typical heavy maintenance check performed on an Airbus 320 aircraft is undertaken for the analysis. The critical chain method is applied to develop a plan with a reduced duration and a survey and field observations to validate the findings have also been carried out as a part of this paper. Findings – The paper compares the traditional project management method with CCPM in view of reducing the aircraft down time duration for maintenance. This paper repositions buffers and other techniques to shorten the chain path and a reduction in the total duration of the project by five days is achieved. Research limitations/implications – It is argued that the application of CCPM principle can reduce the duration of an aircraft maintenance check, but this paper is done in a single project situation focusing on project planning and execution. Therefore, additional study may be required to examine other issues. Originality/value – Cost of the maintenance is second highest expenditure factor for an airline operator. Therefore, it is necessary to drive the maintenance cost down. The paper demonstrates that the duration of a maintenance check can be reduced by 8.9 per cent using the method suggested in this paper.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-588802018-03-20T04:42:50Z Aircraft maintenance checks using critical chain project path Kulkarni, A. Yadav, D. Nikraz, Hamid Purpose – Aircraft operators incur significant costs when an aircraft is taken out of service for maintenance. The purpose of this paper is to present a method for reducing time duration of aircraft maintenance checks using critical chain project management (CCPM) principle. Design/methodology/approach – A case study of a typical heavy maintenance check performed on an Airbus 320 aircraft is undertaken for the analysis. The critical chain method is applied to develop a plan with a reduced duration and a survey and field observations to validate the findings have also been carried out as a part of this paper. Findings – The paper compares the traditional project management method with CCPM in view of reducing the aircraft down time duration for maintenance. This paper repositions buffers and other techniques to shorten the chain path and a reduction in the total duration of the project by five days is achieved. Research limitations/implications – It is argued that the application of CCPM principle can reduce the duration of an aircraft maintenance check, but this paper is done in a single project situation focusing on project planning and execution. Therefore, additional study may be required to examine other issues. Originality/value – Cost of the maintenance is second highest expenditure factor for an airline operator. Therefore, it is necessary to drive the maintenance cost down. The paper demonstrates that the duration of a maintenance check can be reduced by 8.9 per cent using the method suggested in this paper. 2017 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/58880 10.1108/AEAT-10-2013-0186 fulltext
spellingShingle Kulkarni, A.
Yadav, D.
Nikraz, Hamid
Aircraft maintenance checks using critical chain project path
title Aircraft maintenance checks using critical chain project path
title_full Aircraft maintenance checks using critical chain project path
title_fullStr Aircraft maintenance checks using critical chain project path
title_full_unstemmed Aircraft maintenance checks using critical chain project path
title_short Aircraft maintenance checks using critical chain project path
title_sort aircraft maintenance checks using critical chain project path
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/58880