Aviation Data Analytics in MRO Operations: Prospects and Pitfalls

As every new generation of civil aircraft creates more on-wing data and fleets gradually become more connected with the ground, an increased number of opportunities can be identified for more effective Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) operations.

Data are becoming a valuable asset for aircraft operators. Sensors measure and record thousands of parameters in increased sampling rates. However, data do not serve any purpose per se. It is the analysis that unleashes their value. Data analytics methods can be simple, making use of visualizations, or more complex, with the use of sophisticated statistics and Artificial Intelligence algorithms. Every problem needs to be approached with the most suitable and less complex method. In MRO operations, two major categories of on-wing data analytics problems can be identified. The first one requires the identification of patterns, which enable the classification and optimization of different maintenance and overhaul processes. The second category of problems requires the identification of rare events, such as the unexpected failure of parts. This cluster of problems relies on the detection of meaningful outliers in large data sets. Different Machine Learning methods can be suggested here, such as Isolation Forest and Logistic Regression. In general, the use of data analytics for maintenance or failure prediction is a scientific field with a great potentiality. Due to its complex nature, the opportunities for aviation Data Analytics in MRO operations are numerous. As MRO services focus increasingly in long term contracts, maintenance organizations with the right forecasting methods will have an advantage. Data accessibility and data quality are two key-factors. At the same time, numerous technical developments related to data transfer and data processing can be promising for the future.