Every aircraft counts: Why efficient maintenance matters more than ever

Aircraft availability has become one of the aviation industry's most pressing operational challenges. With new aircraft deliveries falling behind demand and supply chain constraints affecting maintenance operations, airlines are under increasing pressure to maximise the availability of their existing fleets.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the global aircraft order backlog exceeded 17,000 aircraft in December 2025, equivalent to nearly 12 years of production capacity at the prevailing rate. The average fleet age has also increased to 15.1 years, reflecting the growing need to keep existing aircraft in service for longer.

While airlines have limited influence over aircraft manufacturing and delivery schedules, they can optimise how their existing fleets are maintained and managed. This is where efficient, digitally connected maintenance operations play a crucial role.

The challenges facing airlines extend beyond delayed aircraft deliveries. As fleets age, maintenance requirements become more demanding, while shortages of spare parts, engines and skilled personnel add further complexity.

IATA estimated that aerospace supply chain constraints would generate an additional USD 3.1 billion in maintenance costs for airlines in 2025. With the imbalance between aircraft demand and production capacity expected to persist into the next decade, efficient fleet maintenance remains a strategic priority.

For maintenance organisations, this means balancing growing workloads with limited resources, minimising avoidable delays and ensuring that aircraft return to service as planned.

The ability to anticipate maintenance requirements, coordinate resources and respond quickly to operational changes is therefore becoming increasingly important.

Improving aircraft availability does not depend solely on completing maintenance tasks faster. It requires effective coordination across the entire maintenance process, from forecasting and planning to material availability, task execution and technical documentation.

Accurate forecasting enables operators to anticipate maintenance requirements and group tasks into work packages that make effective use of available maintenance windows. Aligning these activities with manpower, qualifications, tooling and material availability helps reduce the risk of avoidable delays.

During execution, real-time visibility of work progress, findings and material status allows teams to identify emerging constraints and adjust plans before they affect aircraft return to service.

Together, these capabilities support more predictable maintenance operations, reduce operational disruption and help airlines make better use of their existing fleets.

AMOS, the integrated Maintenance & Engineering (M&E) software solution developed by Swiss AviationSoftware (Swiss-AS), connects continuing airworthiness, engineering, planning, logistics and maintenance execution within a single platform.

AMOS Maintenance Forecast consolidates scheduled and unscheduled maintenance requirements, including component limits, modifications and defects. Based on flight hours, cycles and calendar time, it helps planners anticipate upcoming work and identify suitable maintenance opportunities.

AMOS Production Planning and Production Control support the coordination of work packages, resources and maintenance activities. Integrated material forecasting and allocation help teams identify shortages and secure required parts, while progress tracking provides visibility of workload, task status and potential bottlenecks.

At the aircraft, AMOSmobile/EXEC enables technicians to access work instructions, record findings and labour, manage material transactions and complete tasks digitally, including electronic signatures where configured.

Completed maintenance updates the aircraft's maintenance status and feeds current information back into planning. This connected workflow reduces duplicate data entry and manual handovers, improving coordination between maintenance control, planning, logistics and production teams.

For operators, this means fewer avoidable delays, better use of limited maintenance resources and more predictable aircraft return to service. When fleet capacity is constrained, these improvements can help protect flight schedules, limit disruption-related costs and make better use of revenue-generating aircraft.

Aircraft availability depends on many factors, including fleet condition, maintenance requirements, spare parts availability and operational circumstances. No software solution can eliminate these constraints.

However, integrated maintenance systems can help airlines manage the factors within their control.

By connecting maintenance planning, resources, materials and execution, AMOS helps operators improve operational efficiency and support aircraft availability. Beyond maintenance productivity, the value extends to the wider airline operation: more reliable planning, fewer avoidable disruptions and better use of existing fleet capacity.

As the aviation industry continues to navigate aircraft shortages and supply chain challenges, making effective use of existing fleets will remain essential.

Because when new aircraft are hard to get, every available aircraft counts.

Source: International Air Transport Association (IATA), Aerospace Supply Chain Bottlenecks Continue to Constrain Airlines, 9 December 2025.

Swiss-AS, part of the Lufthansa Technik Digital Tech Ops Ecosystem, is a leading provider of aviation maintenance management software, which offers an end-to-end integrated, highly intelligent software suite designed to manage the entire spectrum of maintenance activities. 

AMOS, in combination with its mobile package, empowers its large and loyal aviation customer base – ranging from pure operators of all sizes, major low-cost, regional and flag carriers, to large airline groups to MRO providers – to digitalize and automate their maintenance processes. 

For more information, please contact us via sales@swiss-as.com.