Exploring Aircraft Management

Aircraft management can be a complex and intricate process, including maintenance and tracking maintenance requirements, managing flight scheduling and crew hiring, and more. Such management can ensure that owners of private jets can receive high-grade, world class aircraft maintenance services and ensure that organized trips are executed smoothly, as well as offer an excellent aircraft ownership experience.

Despite the complexities, this necessary process offers additional advantages. As a private jet owner should you complete aircraft management yourself or hire an aircraft management company? Knowing more about the intricacies of aircraft management and the complexities involved can give you insights into the process and its benefits to assist in making your decision.

Continue reading as we explore exactly what aircraft management involves.

The Role of Aircraft Management

When defining aircraft management, it’s clear that it is a multifaceted process, including all the operational responsibilities associated with the ownership of a private jet. A full service can include the following processes for private and charter flights:

Flight scheduling
Crew management
Aircraft maintenance
Crew training
Overseeing safety regulations

Each of these processes is important in different ways, contributing to the well-handled care of the aircraft and the operational support – and we will explore each of these below.

Aircraft Acquisition and Selection

Aircraft management services, as well as aircraft owners, have a range of factors to consider when acquiring an aircraft to manage and selecting aircraft to own, respectively. For instance, the process can involve reviewing the on-time performance of the aircraft, and this is monitored and tracked efficiently by private jet operators.

Aircraft Performance and Capabilities

Aircraft acquisition and selection also involves reviewing the capabilities of the aircraft. For example, not only should an aircraft management company or private jet owner evaluate the performance of the aircraft, which may include monitoring fuel efficiency, but they should also look closely at the flight data to optimize each flight and determine the capabilities of the craft.

Additionally, other examples of ways to measure performance include using flight cycles or block hours. Flight cycles are specific metrics that reflect the productivity during the total time from the engine start and ending at engine shutdown. Block hours are metrics for the productivity time between when the aircraft door closes and the time the doors open.

Aircraft Suitability

Aircraft management also involves considering the suitability of the aircraft. Envision aircraft owner clients feeling entirely satisfied with the optimal operational efficiency due to the suitability of the aircraft for specific flight purposes.

Aircraft managers or owners of private jets can achieve this by looking at the utilization of the aircraft. For example, they can review each flight schedule and align this with the resources to determine the aircraft’s suitability. They can also consider the mission profile, looking at whether the craft is suited for charter services or business aviation – and then considering whether factors such as speed and passenger capacity align with the specific mission profile.

Budgeting Considerations

Through budgeting considerations and by looking at the financial factors of acquiring an aircraft, aircraft owners who manage the craft can effectively manage costs. For instance, they may look closely at the acquisition costs such as the purchase price or financing arrangements – and this helps them understand the entire investment they make.

In also looking at operating costs, such as considering fuel expenses and aircraft management solution costs, they can also ensure they do not exceed budget constraints. They may also look at the reserve funds they may set aside for unscheduled maintenance or repair expenses, and this minimizes the impact on their budget, while ensuring the aircraft is managed with world class attention to detail.

Regulatory Compliance and Safety

Safety and regulatory compliance are greatly enhanced when an aircraft management company or private jet owner takes specific steps, and it is especially important to adhere to aviation regulations and standards as well as safety protocols during the aircraft management process.

It can help aircraft owners and managers prioritize their passengers’ well-being and ensure aircraft owners do not face penalties or legal consequences. It can also enhance the operational efficiency of the craft and streamline operations by reducing errors.

Implementing Effective Safety Management Systems

With the implementation of systems such as Safety Management Systems (SMS), aircraft owners can greatly enhance the safety of an aircraft – and this aircraft management process has other advantages. For example, as well as ensuring flight operators eliminate accidents by identifying potential risks, it can also help them comply with regulations.

Looking at this closely, it’s clear that many regulatory authorities expect aircraft owners to use SMS as part of their safety oversight duties – and it proves that the owner of the craft has committed to exceptional safety standards. For instance, it contributes toward a culture of enhanced safety, ensuring that aircraft owners and the entire management crew uphold safety expectations, such as maintenance inspections and safety reporting.

Maintenance Planning and Oversight

A key factor that contributes to effective aircraft management is maintenance planning and oversight – several strategies for scheduling aircraft maintenance are ideal, such as condition-based monitoring and optimizing maintenance scheduling.

With condition-based monitoring, aircraft owners and managers can continuously monitor critical systems of the craft, assessing its health. For instance, they can use monitoring systems to collect pressure and fluid levels.

With processes to optimize maintenance schedules, such as using maintenance planning software, aircraft management companies or aircraft owners can handle maintenance tasks effectively and schedule the management activities in line with flight hours or flight cycles.

Coordination with Maintenance Providers

By coordinating with expert personnel who oversee maintenance, aircraft management professionals can effectively schedule routine inspections. For example, they may schedule the maintenance tasks and share the requirements for the maintenance duties to achieve this. Additionally, they may ensure the work is completed in a timely way according to the schedule they set.

Airworthiness and Preventive Maintenance Programs

Aircraft managers have the essential role of implementing a preventive maintenance program to ensure airworthiness. The preventive maintenance program is a key document that lists all the requirements that must be met to ensure the craft is airworthy. For instance, it can include specific tasks, such as deep inspections, that need to be completed by a specific time.

Crew Management and Training

An aircraft management company also focuses on establishing the right flight crew. Following specific requirements and expectations, they recruit and train, manage and support flight crews – and they additionally aim to make sure the crew fully complies with the regulations and high-level proficiency standards.

Crew Scheduling

In their aircraft management duties, managers of aircraft carry out the fundamental role of crew scheduling, and this involves a few specific approaches. For example, they may use rosters to create a plan that shows the location of crew members at specific times. Or they may rely on a crew controller or resource planner to coordinate each assignment of the personnel and crew.

Crew Fatigue Management

Beyond crew scheduling, aircraft owners and management companies need to handle crew fatigue. For example, they will need to make sure that all flight duty durations are planned with precision to minimize crew fatigue and ensure optimal operations. Many approaches can help. For instance, using fatigue risk management and implementing rest periods can be important in managing night duties that exceed 10 hours.

Crew Training

It is also an essential duty of aircraft management to support crew training. They can organize and oversee the training programs – and offer the correct facilities and resources as well. For example, they may either use in-house facilities for training or solicit the services of external organizations that offer training services.

Operational Logistics and Support

In providing operational logistics and support, aircraft management can aid flight operations – but outside of these outcomes, they can also optimize efficiency and achieve other results with other approaches such as ground handling and fueling, which we will explore below.

Coordinating Ground Handling and Fueling

With ground handling duties such as refueling and handling cargo, cleaning and towing, aircraft maintenance and routine inspections, aircraft management can facilitate ground repositioning. They can also address operational challenges. For example, with ground handling responsibilities such as aircraft marshalling duties, aircraft management can ensure the craft moves safely despite limited visibility.

Risk Management and Insurance

It is the role of aircraft management to identify and eliminate operational risks – and a significant part of this involves procuring the right insurance coverage that aligns with aircraft operations. This may include examples such as coverage for aircraft damage or coverage for liability coverage for property damage.

Implementing Risk Management Strategies

It is also the role of aircraft management companies to implement risk management strategies. Some examples of risk management strategies they may implement include analyzing safety data and completing risk assessments, as well as implementing safety protocols and closely following all of the strict regulatory requirements.

Contact Chartright Air Group for Further Information on Aircraft Management

Aircraft management is a complex and intricate process, but it is fundamental to the safety and efficient operation of the aircraft, the timely management of maintenance and the work of the crew.

Aircraft owners can gain a range of benefits from aircraft management, and its significance in aviation is wide ranging.