ENGINES
PROGRAMMING BENEFITS
New technology is rendering unscheduled maintenance events for engines and airframes far less likely. So should aircraft owners still use hourly maintenance programmes? Words: Rob Hodgetts
The Rolls-Royce Aircraft Availability Centre is a 24/7 operational hub in Derby, UK. It uses advanced data analytics and digital technology to monitor engine performance and to predict maintenance needs.
ENGINES
PROGRAMMING BENEFITS
New technology is rendering unscheduled maintenance events for engines and airframes far less likely. So should aircraft owners still use hourly maintenance programmes? Words: Rob Hodgetts
The Rolls-Royce Aircraft Availability Centre is a 24/7 operational hub in Derby, UK. It uses advanced data analytics and digital technology to monitor engine performance and to predict maintenance needs.
IT WAS A predicament that required creativity. A Rolls-Royce business jet customer had an engine failure at Masset airport on the remote Graham Island off the coast of northern British Columbia. But there was only one commercial flight a week to Masset. And with the engine on Rolls-Royce’s engine maintenance programme, urgency was required.
“We chartered a C-130, picked up a spare engine and our technicians and flew them to Masset to do the engine change,” says Andy Robinson, senior vice president, Customers & Services – Business Aviation, Rolls-Royce. One knock-on from that operation was that Rolls-Royce developed a portal dome which could be fitted over the engines of a jet to protect travelling technicians working in icy winds, rain or searing sun.
Another time, Rolls-Royce had an engine problem with a jet on the Big Island of Hawaii. It chartered a 747 to fly in a spare engine but also had to charter a barge from Honolulu to transport the only forklift truck in the region so the engine could be taken off the 747 and fitted to the aircraft.
“All of that is covered by the programme,” adds Robinson. “The beauty for the customer is that they have a fixed price and they can plan and budget for their operation.
But while that’s a success story for programme coverage, such tales are now being replaced by moments where aircraft-on-ground (AOG) incidents did not happen.
Sophisticated new engines coupled with next-generation satellite connectivity solutions and a vast investment in artificial intelligence means maintenance teams can spot an issue before an item fails. Digital models can be created and real-time engine parameters analysed for discrepancies.
“We can see things that we’ve never seen before,” says Greg Norwood, senior sales director, GE Aerospace. “For example, the electronic engine controls on the Passport engines have temperature and pressure sensors fitted.
“So we can see that a rope seal is starting to bypass and allowing heat inside the engine or the cowling. And we can tell the maintenance crew to take a look before the principal gets stranded on some remote island. So let’s catch it when it comes through Singapore, for instance. One of the things I’m most proud of with this Passport engine is the amount of data that comes off it. The number of additional algorithms that we can stack up on top of the data is really next level.”
By connecting its engine health monitoring capabilities with its On-Wing Services team, Rolls-Royce says it can respond to anything, from changing igniter plugs for an engine that is slow to start to “really complicated” borescope blends. This is where a skilled technician inserts a probe into the engine to blend away nicks or small cracks. All of which aims to reduce the number of shop visits.
“With the newer engines, the capability grows significantly,” says Robinson. “It really started for us in business aviation with the G650, where we started to get continuous data. And now with the Pearl engines, we have a new capability called the Engine Vibration Health Monitoring Unit. It’s capable of measuring 10,000-plus parameters. It's terabytes of data. It effectively means you should never have an aircraft operational disruption because we can proactively remove a line replaceable unit [LRU] before it fails.
“It’s extremely powerful. It’s probably the most powerful element of what our programme provides, particularly in terms of protecting the aircraft operation.”
Two of the Pratt & Whitney Canada team inspect a PW814 turbofan engine.
Two of the Pratt & Whitney Canada team inspect a PW814 turbofan engine.
‘If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it’
This all suggests the old adage: “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” is outdated. But that’s assuming your engine is on a programme and being monitored. No programme, no early warning.
The schemes, offered by engine manufacturers and third parties, are insurance against both scheduled and unexpected maintenance costs, introduced when aircraft engines were more unreliable.
Honeywell's Maintenance Service Plan (MSP) turns 50 years old in 2026 and covers aircraft from the Learjet 31 right up to modern jets such as the Challenger 3500 and the new Gulfstream G300.
On most programmes, you are billed for what you fly, dubbed ‘power by the hour’. This covers the cost of maintenance events, with varying tiers of coverage according to the provider. Access to global networks of service centres and lease engines are other major perks. Enrolling on a programme is therefore a trade-off between high initial outlay and potentially even higher unexpected costs.
Sebastien Larue, director, Business Transformation & Engine Maintenance Solutions, Pratt & Whitney Canada says its ESP (Eagle Service Plan) maintenance programme reflects the “unmatched expertise of the people who know Pratt & Whitney Canada engines best”. He adds: “It delivers predictable maintenance expenses and safeguards against financial risk, helping customers plan with confidence.”
Technology buyers used to say that: “No one ever got fired for buying IBM.” This also applies to engine maintenance programmes. Given the persuasive argument from the OEMs and third-party programme providers, you might assume all owners and operators would enrol.
Larue says that more than 80% of PW800 engines found on the Gulfstream G400/G600 and the Dassault Falcon 6X, are enrolled on its programme. For other aircraft types, such as the Embraer Phenom 300 powered by the PW535E/E1, the enrolment figure exceeds 65%. “With aircraft values rising in the general aviation segment, we are also seeing increased demand for coverage,” he says.
Rolls-Royce’s Robinson is also seeing high adoption of its Corporate Care Enhanced programme. “In terms of new deliveries, we are going to sign up around 85% of the aircraft this year,” says Robinson. “We're very pleased with the capture rate.”
“It delivers predictable maintenance expenses and safeguards against financial risk ...”
As an alternative to the 100% coverage option with a substantial buy-in, third-party JSSI also offers a pro-rata solution. Clients can avoid the upfront cost and instead pay a percentage based on your usage and the life left in life-limited parts (LLP) and other components.
“Independence is our superpower,” says Francisco Zozaya, chief commercial officer, JSSI. “It’s within our DNA to be very flexible. We believe our role is to bring fairness, transparency and healthy competition that ultimately benefits the end user. We are aligning with the customer, not with the asset.”
GE Aerospace Passport engine.
A Rolls-Royce technician looks what lies within. The company has never grounded an aircraft for the lack of a lease engine, says Andy Robinson.
A Rolls-Royce technician looks what lies within. The company has never grounded an aircraft for the lack of a lease engine, says Andy Robinson.
Preferential service
Those that don’t enrol on a programme are often private individuals or large entities who prefer to self-insure or invest their money elsewhere in the hope of generating better returns to cover any unscheduled maintenance.
Robinson suggests people sometimes spurn an engine programme on the basis that “if you can’t afford to replace a couple of engines, you shouldn’t be buying an aircraft”.
“But we don’t have a couple of engines sitting on the shelf, which is why it’s so important to be on an OEM engine programme,” he says.
Norwood says that since Covid, loaner engines across the board have been in “tight supply”, a problem exacerbated by staffing issues and global supply chain backlogs.
“Aviation around the world is at almost record levels of production, record levels of shop visits, there's strain in the market,” he says.
“Our goal is, we want the customers to fly. It’s to our benefit for them to be out flying with their engines, not our loaner engines. It’s a drain to the programme as much as it is to anybody else. Those loaner engines are a significant value to programmes and they will continue to be for the foreseeable future.”
Robinson says he is focused on “bringing that lease-to-lease time down” to ensure Rolls-Royce has lease engines available at all times.
“We have never grounded an aircraft for the lack of a lease engine and our intent is we never will,” he says.
“We’ve got close to 250 assets, including nacelle and thrust reversers, available around the world and we’ve got a pretty good process of calculating the demand. We have very aggressive targets and we measure each step.”
There is a wider warranty issue of suppliers having to cover parts that have not in theory failed, leading to the “no fault found” conundrum. But the key is to have those conversations in advance and put agreements in place, suggests Robinson.
He adds: “I always say there’s three legs on a stool. We had residual value. We had liquidity. Now we have aircraft availability.”
Looking at the big picture, there is an argument that engine programmes help to grow the entire industry by keeping aircraft flying that might otherwise be parted out if deemed economically not viable to maintain if not on a programme.
Removing that aircraft from service means the industry missing out on every aspect of operation and maintenance, including multiple paint and interior refurbs, new cockpits, engines, wheels and brakes, connectivity, hangars, insurance, legal, broker and management fees and fuel.
“If you can't afford to replace a couple of engines, you shouldn't be buying an aircraft.”
“Engine programmes are great for the business,” says Sean Lynch, MD, Engine Assurance Programme, another third-party provider which specialises in aircraft more than about 20 years old.
“The entire industry loses when these things get parted out sooner than they should. Those manufacturers and everyone that supports those airplanes will make money off these airplanes for decades longer, the higher percentage of the fleet that’s on a programme.”
A Rolls-Royce powered aircraft takes off every 16 seconds, says the firm. Its Aircraft Availability Centre monitors the data transmitted from these engines to ensure full aircraft availability.
A Rolls-Royce powered aircraft takes off every 16 seconds, says the firm. Its Aircraft Availability Centre monitors the data transmitted from these engines to ensure full aircraft availability.
Finding finance
Financiers also love programmes. A significant number of financiers will insist that engines are covered by a manufacturer programme. Many banks will encourage airframe maintenance programmes.
Banks like maintenance programmes for several reasons: first, it means that the aircraft will be well maintained and be up to date with airworthiness directives – which are issued by the aviation authorities – to update aircraft; and second, they know that aircraft covered by maintenance programmes tend to retain value better and are easier to sell.
According to Norwood, a recent GE study with VanGas Aviation Analytics found that a midlife airplane on a programme with an OEM sells for “about 8-10% higher” than an aircraft with either a third-party programme or no programme at all.
“Those values are pretty significant, especially when you talk about a used Global 7500,” he says. “We also see it on the BBJ platform, the ACJ platform and the Challenger platform. And it’s even greater on some platforms. It’s really the residual value enhancements that we bring to the table.”
Financiers will typically ask for assignment of maintenance programme to them in case of default. They will ask you to sign a three-party agreement (or tripartite) similar to the one they like borrowers to sign with operators.
The other reason financiers appreciate maintenance programmes (although they probably do not want you to know this) is that they know these are one of the first things that aircraft buyers stop paying when cash is short. So they view them as early warning signals
Overall, the surge in the amount of data becoming available and the insight it provides further arguably strengthens the case for enrolling on a programme.
Your engine might not be broken, but if you’re on a programme, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t fix it.
Up close and personal with a GE Aerospace Passport engine.
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