There are options to follow in areas such as the initial protection of the exposed metal surfaces, fuel level and treatments, interior furnishing removal/protection, plus the potential removal of engines to consider and plan for. Storage programs are not an exact listing of “to do” tasks. In other words, it is a planned event, not an urgent reaction to a global event. This in turn would be used to set the initial parameters of the “into storage” and “in storage” criteria. The request for an aircraft to enter storage is normally accompanied with a reasonable estimate of the pre-determined length of prolonged parking required.
While handling pre-planned aircraft storage requirements is not uncommon at many Airlines and Maintenance Repair and Overhaul organisations (MROs), the current unplanned mass storage of aircraft for an unpredictable length of time will have introduced many airline maintenance planners to the complexity of storage programs. Programs can also have a staged entry in to deeper storage such as at 30 days, and again at 180 days. For example, short term storage may be up to 60 days, with long term storage then considered to be greater than 60 days. These procedures are determined by the length of time the aircraft is planned to be stored. There are different procedures to prepare airframes, engines, and aircraft systems for storage.
One key decision facing airlines in recent months will have been whether to put aircraft into short term or long-term storage (using such terms generically). In most cases this includes entering the aircraft into a storage program with some aircraft types having the option to maintain the aircraft in a ready-for-flight condition. However, as a general rule, if the aircraft is to be parked for more than seven days a set of procedures to help prevent the deterioration of the aircraft structure and systems must be followed. Prolonged parking storage instructions vary per Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and aircraft type.
#ATA CHAPTER FOR LANDING GEAR MANUAL#
The instructions for aircraft prolonged parking, periodic storage checks, and aircraft return to service checks are found within the Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM) ATA Chapter 10 “Parking and Mooring”. Sandra Everest, Director of Maintenance and Engineering at Aircraft Analytics provides a summary of some key considerations for maintenance planners in terms of aircraft storage and return to service maintenance requirements. With some signs of recovery now on the horizon, airlines must also now start planning for returning their aircraft to service. In response, airlines grounded large parts or in some cases all of their fleets, which brought the dual challenges of how and where to efficiently place their aircraft into storage programs. The Covid-19 pandemic has led to an unparalleled decline in air traffic demand as countries around the world entered lockdowns and closed their borders.
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