Finding the right partner
in maintenance management

By Colin MacDonald, Director, Sales and Marketing

Colin MacDonald

Director, Sales and Marketing

Colin MacDonald serves as director of sales and marketing for JBT AeroTech Airport Services. He manages sales and marketing for Airport Systems’ 13 fixed base operations across the United States, including maintenance services for gate systems, baggage systems and facilities. MacDonald joined JBT AeroTech — formerly FMC Airport Systems — in 1994 when the company purchased Jetway Systems, where he had been working since 1986. He has served in sales and marketing roles in the airlines and airport equipment and services industry for 22 years, including manager of Penang and Kuala Lumpur airport projects, director of international sales and marketing, and as regional sales manager.

 
JBT AeroTech has more than 40 years of experience in partnering with airlines and airports to provide service support and maintenance management
for its products.

The average price for a domestic flight in North America is $191, according to Air Transport Association of America Inc. (ATA) research. Of the average $191 fare, $139 covers the cost of fuel, leaving airline managers $52 per passenger to cover remaining expenses, including labor, equipment, aircraft and capital programs. As the cost of fuel continues to rise, airline executives will be required to do more with less. Outsourcing maintenance management to a quality service provider can help cut costs and increase an airline’s bottom line.

JBT AeroTech began partnering with airlines and airports more than 40 years ago to provide service support for its products. Today, the company offers maintenance for gate systems, baggage systems, airport facilities, ground support equipment, and equipment status and reliability surveys. In addition to maintenance services, its technology services using the Intelligent Operations Performance System (iOPS™) allow for real-time operations tracking and management.

When investigating possible service providers, airline managers should focus on the following qualities to guarantee an improved maintenance management program. 

Integrated approach

Quality that comes from experience and equipment knowledge should be on the top of the list. It’s also important to find a provider who will tailor a service program to fit the unique needs of each airline/airport, which will bring more value in the long run.

Using an integrated approach — thus cross-utilization of skilled personnel and management — will dramatically reduce costs. A single maintenance management organization can maintain everything from the curb to the airport operations area (AOA), including terminal facilities, baggage handling systems, gate equipment and ground support equipment.

Utilization of Computerized Maintenance
Management Systems (CMMS)

When considering outsourcing, it is absolutely critical to ensure service providers have CMMS implementation and operations experience to maximize results. CMMS is an automated maintenance management program that tracks maintenance performed on equipment and scheduled preventive maintenance services.

By utilizing key performance indicators, JBT AeroTech has demonstrated an increased percentage of uptime, proven service quality and a shift in the ratio of preventive versus corrective maintenance activities over time, resulting in tangible value for its customers.

At one major airline, JBT AeroTech has more than 250 personnel on the ground performing 24/7 maintenance operations. As a result, several categories of equipment uptime have increased to more than 99 percent, and the airline is saving millions of dollars each year due to decreased maintenance expenses and real-time tracking of the operations activities.

Maintenance service can improve in quality and cost when maintenance management services are performed by a service provider as opposed to in-house.

Reliability-centered
maintenance (RCM) practices

Assume two identical pieces of equipment are used at a terminal; one is used twice per day, give or take two hours while the other is used eight times per day, running six hours per day more. In many airline and airport maintenance organizations, both are scheduled for maintenance once every three months. RCM identifies the operating trends of equipment and, after an equipment upkeep analysis, develops and monitors a maintenance program for each piece of equipment based on use.

Through the effective use of CMMS and careful equipment monitoring, maintenance management personnel can recognize these situations and collaborate with customers to correctly apply RCM principles to adjust the maintenance schedules. In this case, the equipment that gets more use needs more frequent preventive maintenance but reduces the amount of downtime and maintains its value. At the same time, the frequency for preventive maintenance for equipment that is utilized less can be accurately planned. Costs are contained across the board.

Old-school thinking was that maintenance service quality decreases when outsourced. However, airlines and airports are discovering that quality is maintained and improved at a lower cost than can be achieved in-house. Dedicated airport services organizations, such as JBT AeroTech, specialize in streamlining the maintenance process, letting airlines concentrate on their core competencies — safety, customer service and flying aircraft.

To learn more about Airport Services, visit the JBT AeroTech Web site or contact a JBT AeroTech specialist.


iOPS™ is a trademark of JBT AeroTech.
© 2008 JBT AeroTech. All rights reserved.