An Aircraft Manufacturer's View of Service Problems and Their Correction

The high equipment investment cost of today's large transport aircraft, the high daily utilization desired or required for profitable operations, and the potential revenue losses associated with service interruptions make it mandatory for the manufacturer to take an active part in the early reduction and correction of service problems.

The high investment, not only by the aircraft operators but also by the manufacturer, demands the establishment of a mutual participation team effort for early problem resolution.

This paper deals with an aircraft manufacturer's approach to meeting this challenge. It discusses the accumulation and evaluation of service data, the investigations initiated to properly understand the problem, and the management procedures established to assure a safe and speedy problem resolution with a minimum of service interruption. Specific examples are used to illustrate the types of decisions reached. It also elaborates on the continuous coordination effort required between the aircraft manufacturer and its subcontractors to attain and exceed service reliability objectives.