Chapter 7

The Maintenance and

Engineering Organization

Aircraft Maintenance Systems – AE484– Dr. Nisrin Abdelal

Organization of Maintenance and Engineering
 The structure for an effective maintenance and
engineering organization will vary with the size and type
organization
 It may also vary with the management philosophy of the
company
 One thing must be kept in mind: the organizational
structure must allow the company to meet its goals and
objectives and each unit within the company must be
endowed ‫)موهوب‬
( with sufficient personnel and authority
to carry out those objectives and meet those goals
Organization of Maintenance and Engineering
 The structure in the next slide, was determined from
experience and observation, to be the most efficient and
effective one for a midsized commercial airline.

 For application to large or small airlines, this structure

will have to be modified; but all of the functions
identified here will have to exist separately or in
combination to accomplish all of the functions and
activities identified in chapter 6 (requirement of
maintenance program) as essential for effective
operation
The organizational Structure
 Organizational Structure for Midsized Airline
Typical maintenance and engineering organization
VP Maintenance and Engineering

Technical Aircraft Shop Maintenance

Materiel program evaluation
services Maintenance maintenance

Quality
Engineering Hanger Engine purchasing assurance

Quality
Planning Line Avionics stores control

Reliability
Training MCC Mechanical Inventory

Maintenance control center

Safety
Publications Structures Receiving

Computer Figure.1 GSE Ground support equipment

VP: Vice President
The Three basic concepts underlying ( ‫)ا لكامنة\ا لتابعه‬
the organizational structure

1. Span control
2. Grouping of similar functions
3. Separation of production activities (maintenance and
engineering) from the oversight (‫قبة‬#‫ )مرا‬functions of inspections,
control, and monitoring (quality assurance, quality control,
reliability and safety)
 1. Span (‫)ا لتوسع‬control
The span concept states that the supervisor or manager can
effectively supervise or control three to seven people
Less than three will be ineffective use of time and manpower,
and more than seven would spread the boss too thin
The midsized organizational structure we showed earlier adhere
to this concept
The VP of maintenance and engineering supervises five
directors. Each director has the necessary number of managers
under him/her to carry out the prescribed functions of the
directorate (‫لمديرية‬##‫ا‬.).

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 1. Span control
By limiting the number of people the manager has to supervise,
the organization’s work is divided into pieces that are more easily
managed without losing the people-to-people contact that is so
necessary for a happy and effective work force.
At lower levels of the organization, where the actual
maintenance work is performed by workers with many different
skills, the span control is usually not so narrow
A line or hanger maintenance supervisor may have 20-30 of
these specialists to supervise.
But at the upper management levels, we like to keep the span of
control at lower number because that is where the big decisions
will be made!

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 2. Grouping of Similar Functions
Grouping similar functions under one director, manager or
supervisor.
1. All maintenance activities (line, hanger, and MCC) are under one
manager {aircraft maintenance}
2. All maintenance overhaul shop functions ( electrical and electronic
shops, mechanical shops, hydraulics, etc) are grouped {shop
maintenance}
3. All inspection activities, whether it is inspecting the company’s
workers, inspecting parts, or inspecting the suppliers of parts, are
grouped into one organization {maintenance program evaluation}
4. Those handling the purchase of supplies, performing engineering
work, and those who doing planning are also grouped {Materiel}

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 3. Separation of production and oversight
(‫ )مراقبة‬functions
Under the FAA philosophy, an airline receives certification to operate
as a commercial air transport company and that authorization is, for all
practical purposes, permanent ( as long as the airline is following the
regulatory authority rules and standards).
Under the FAA rules, for an airline to be certified, it must have certain
programs in place, including a self-monitoring function to ensure that it
is performing according to the rules (its own rules as well as the
regulatory authority). This alleviates ‫خفيف‬###‫)ت‬
( the FA from having to
recertify each airline every year
This requirement for self-monitoring is usually in the form of quality
assurance (QA), quality control (QC), reliability and safety programs.
Combined, these functions constituent the core of the CASS
requirement mentioned in chapter 6.

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The M&E Organizational Chart
We will briefly discuss each layer and each function of the
organizational chart
 The M&E Organizational Chart

A. General Groupings
B. Manager Level Functions – Technical Services Directorate (‫)إدارة‬
C. Manager Level Functions – Aircraft Maintenance Directorate
D. Manager Level Functions – Overhaul Shops Directorate
E. Manager Level Functions – Materiel Directorate
F. Manager Level Functions – Maintenance Program Evaluation
Directorate

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 Organizational Structure for Midsized Airline
Typical maintenance and engineering organization
VP Maintenance and Engineering
Director Director Director Director Director
Technical Aircraft Shop Maintenance
Materiel program evaluation
services Maintenance maintenance
Manager
Quality
Engineering Hanger Engine purchasing assurance

Manager
Quality
Planning Line Avionics stores control

Reliability
Training MCC Mechanical Inventory

Maintenance control center

Safety
Publications Structures Receiving

Computer Figure.1 GSE Ground support equipment

VP: Vice President
 The M&E Organizational Chart

A. General Groupings

1. Vice president of maintenance and engineering

2. Directors of major functions
3. Managers and supervisors

How to divide the managers of the organization !

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 A. General Grouping
1. Vice president of maintenance and engineering

President / CEO/Chief Operating Officer

Vice president of maintenance

and engineering VP flight operations
(VP of M&E)

1. Responsible for delivering airworthy vehicles to the Responsible for conducting

operations department to meet the flight schedule the air transportation
operations; i.e., the flying,
2. Responsible for conducting all scheduled maintenance,
modifications, etc on the vehicles within the specified limits
of the maintenance schedule and still meet the operations
department's flight schedule
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 A. General Grouping
2. Directors of major functions
 Are the five major functions shown in Fig.1

3. Managers and Supervisors

 Within each directorate, there are several managers. Each of
these managers has a specialized area of responsibility within
the overall scope of the directorate’s function
 Specific activities within each manager’s area of responsibility
requires staffs of specialists with supervision by knowledgeable
people
We are talking here about managers of each division in the five
major functions!
 The M&E Organizational Chart

B. Manager Level Functions – Technical Services Directorate

1. Engineering
2. Production planning and control
3. Training
4. Technical publications
5. Computing services

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 Organizational Structure for Midsized Airline
Typical maintenance and engineering organization
VP Maintenance and Engineering

Technical Aircraft Shop Maintenance

Materiel program evaluation
services Maintenance maintenance

Quality
Engineering Hanger Engine purchasing assurance

Quality
Planning Line Avionics stores control

Reliability
Training MCC Mechanical Inventory

Maintenance control center

Safety
Publications Structures Receiving

Computer Figure.1 GSE Ground support equipment

VP: Vice President
 B. Technical Services Directorate
1. Engineering
The manager of the engineering is responsible for all engineering
functions within the M&E organization; this includes:
(a) The development of the initial maintenance program (tasks, intervals,
schedules, etc)
(b) The evaluation of service bulletins (SBs) and service letters (SLs) for possible
inclusion into the airline’s equipment
(c) Oversight (‫قبة‬#‫ )مرا‬of the incorporation of those SBs and SLs that they deem
beneficial
(d) Overseeing ‫ف‬#
( ‫إلشرا‬##‫ )ا‬the incorporation of airworthiness directives (ADs), the
modifications that are required by the regulatory authority
(e) The evaluation of maintenance problems (if any) resulting from the
maintenance checks performed by maintenance
(f) Establishing the policies and procedures for the M&E organization
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 B. Technical Services Directorate

1. Engineering
The engineering department is involved in the planning of facilities
(new hangers, maintenance shops, storage facilities, buildings, etc) for
the airline.
The engineers won’t do the design, but will work with the contractor
that is responsible about the project.
The engineering department employs a cadre (‫ادر‬#‫ )ك‬of engineering
specialists with high degree of expertise all specialties within the
aircraft’s technical realm: power plant, structures, avionics, and
aircraft performance.
These positions are at the supervisor level with several engineers in
each group with their own specialties.

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 B. Technical Services Directorate

2. Production planning and control

The manager of the production planning and control (PP&C) is
responsible for maintenance scheduling and planning.
The functions of the PP&C are the following:

(a) All planning activities related to maintenance and engineering (short,

medium and long term)
(b) The establishment of standards for man-hours, material, facilities, tools and
equipment
(c) Work scheduling
(d) Control of hangers
(e) On-airplane maintenance
(f) Monitoring of work progress in the support shops

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 B. Technical Services Directorate

3. Training
The manager of technical training is responsible for curriculum, course
development, administration, and training records for all formal
training attended by the M&E unit’s employee.
The organization coordinates any training required outside the unit
(vendor training) and coordinates with line and hanger maintenance
personnel for the development of on-the-job training and remedial
(#‫ )عالجية\مصلحه‬or one-time training activities
The training section must be able to establish new and special training
courses to meet the needs of the airline
the course requirements are often the result of problem investigation
by reliability, incorporation of new equipment of modification, or the
addition of aircraft types to the fleet.
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 B. Technical Services Directorate

4. Technical publications
The manager of technical publications is responsible for all technical
publications (Tech Pubs) used by the M&E organization.
The Tech Pubs keeps a current list of all documents received from
manufacturers and vendors, as well as those produced in-house by the
airline.
Tech Pubs is responsible for ensuring that appropriate documents and
revisions are distributed to the various work centers
Work centers are responsible of keeping their own documents current,
but Tech Pubs usually conduct periodic checks to see that this is being
done
Tech Pubs is responsible for maintaining the main technical library and
any satellite libraries within the airline’s system, including those at out-
23 stations.
 B. Technical Services Directorate

5. Computing Services
The manager of computing services is responsible for the definition of
the M&E organization’s computing requirements:
(a) Selection of software and hardware to be used, with usage
information and requirements inputs from the individual units
(b)Training of maintenance, inspection, and management personnel on
computer usage
(c) Provide continuing support to the using organizations

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 The M&E Organizational Chart

C. Manager Level Functions – Aircraft Maintenance Directorate

1. Hanger maintenance
2. Line maintenance
3. Maintenance control center

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 Organizational Structure for Midsized Airline
Typical maintenance and engineering organization
VP Maintenance and Engineering

Technical Aircraft Shop Maintenance

Materiel program evaluation
services Maintenance maintenance

Quality
Engineering Hanger Engine purchasing assurance

Quality
Planning Line Avionics stores control

Reliability
Training MCC Mechanical Inventory

Maintenance control center

Safety
Publications Structures Receiving

Computer Figure.1 GSE Ground support equipment

VP: Vice President
 C. Aircraft Maintenance Directorate

1. Hanger Maintenance
The manager of hanger maintenance is responsible for compliance
‫ل‬##‫متثا‬
( ‫ال‬##‫ )ا‬with the airline’s policies and procedures relative to all work
done on the aircraft in the hanger, such as modifications, engine
changes, “C” checks and higher corrosion control, painting, etc.
The hanger maintenance function also includes various support shops
(welding, seat and interior fabric, composites, etc) as well as ground
support equipment

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 C. Aircraft Maintenance Directorate

2. Line maintenance
The manager of line maintenance is responsible for compliance with
the airline’s policies and procedures relative to the work done on the
aircraft on the flight line while the aircraft is in service.
Such activities include turnaround maintenance and servicing, daily
checks, short interval checks (less than “A” check interval) and “A”
checks
Simple modifications can be done by line maintenance to avoid
unnecessary use of the hanger
line maintenance may also be utilized to perform line maintenance
activities for other airlines under contract

Note: turnaround maintenance: maintenance during which the aircraft must remain
28 parked at the gate
 C. Aircraft Maintenance Directorate

3. Maintenance Control Center

The function known as the maintenance control center (MCC) keeps
track of all aircraft in flight and at outstations
All maintenance needs of these vehicles are coordinated through the
MCC
The MCC also coordinates downtime and schedule changes with the
flight department
Some airlines might have a supervisor of line stations to coordinate
outstation activities, but the supervisor is a part of the home base MCC
operation.

Outstation : outstation of the air carrier

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 http://www.omanair.com/en/about-us/engineering/maintenance-control-
center

• The Maintenance Control Center (MCC) is the nerve center of the Line
Maintenance organization; it is responsible for keeping track of all
Oman Air fleet in operation.

•  The MCC keeps track of all Oman Air fleet and co-ordinates with key
units throughout the operations, maintenance and engineering
activities so that maintenance, when needed, can be planned, co-
ordinated and expedited to minimize delays and down time.

•  The MCC locates and dispatches the necessary personnel within the
company who can provide whatever maintenance, trouble-shooting,
or parts assistance that is needed to support the operational phase of
the activity.
 The M&E Organizational Chart

D. Manager Level Functions – Overhaul Shops Directorate

Consists of the shops that perform maintenance on items
removed from the aircraft
1. Engine shops
2. Electrical and electronics (avionics) shops
3. Mechanical component shops
4. Structures
5. GSE

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 Organizational Structure for Midsized Airline
Typical maintenance and engineering organization
VP Maintenance and Engineering

Technical Aircraft Shop Maintenance

Materiel program evaluation
services Maintenance maintenance

Quality
Engineering Hanger Engine purchasing assurance

Quality
Planning Line Avionics stores control

Reliability
Training MCC Mechanical Inventory

Maintenance control center

Safety
Publications Structures Receiving

Computer Figure.1 GSE Ground support equipment

VP: Vice President
 D. Overhaul Shops Directorate

1. Engine shops
The manager of the engine overhaul shops is responsible for all
maintenance and repair done on the organization’s engines and
auxiliary power units (APUs)
If more than one type engine is used, there may be a separate engine
shop for each type performing the work, but there would usually be
under one senior manager with a supervisor for each engine type

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 D. Overhaul Shops Directorate

2 Avionics shops
The manager of the electrical/electronics shops is responsible for all
off-aircraft maintenance of electrical and electronics component and
systems.
There is a variety of components and systems in this field with wide
variation in the skills needed
There maybe several shops (radio, navigation, communications,
computers, electric motor-driven components, etc) with separate
supervisors
Shops are combined under one main manager in one shop ( the avionic
shops)

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 D. Overhaul Shops Directorate

3. Mechanical component shops

The manager of the mechanical component is responsible for all off-
aircraft maintenance of mechanical component and systems.
Mechanical components such as actuators, hydraulic systems and
components, aircraft surfaces (flaps, spoilers) fuel systems, oxygen,
pneumatic, etc

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 D. Overhaul Shops Directorate

4. Structures
The structure shop is responsible for maintenance and repair of all
aircraft structural components. This includes composite material as
well as sheet metal and other structural elements

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 D. Overhaul Shops Directorate
4. GSE: Ground Support Equipment
is the support equipment found at an airport, usually on the ramp, the
servicing area by the terminal. This equipment is used to service the aircraft
between flights. As its name implies, GSE is there to support the operations
of aircraft whilst on the ground. The functions this equipment plays generally
involve ground power operations, aircraft mobility, and loading operations
(for both cargo and passengers).

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 D. Overhaul Shops Directorate
4. GSE: Ground Support Equipment

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 The M&E Organizational Chart

E. Manager Level Functions – Materiel Directorate

Responsible for the handling of all part and supplies for the M&E
organization
1. Purchasing
2. Stores
3. Inventory control
4. Shipping and receiving

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 Organizational Structure for Midsized Airline
Typical maintenance and engineering organization
VP Maintenance and Engineering

Technical Aircraft Shop Maintenance

Materiel program evaluation
services Maintenance maintenance

Quality
Engineering Hanger Engine purchasing assurance

Quality
Planning Line Avionics stores control

Reliability
Training MCC Mechanical Inventory

Maintenance control center

Safety
Publications Structures Receiving

Computer Figure.1 GSE Ground support equipment

VP: Vice President
 E. Materiel Directorate

1. Purchasing
The manager of purchasing is responsible for buying parts and supplies
and tracking these orders through the system
This begins with the initial issue of parts when a new aircraft is added
to the fleet and a continual replenishment (‫لتجديد‬##‫ )ا‬of those parts based
on usage
The purchasing unit is also responsible of handling warranty claims and
contract repairs

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 E. Materiel Directorate

2. Stores
Responsible for storage, handling, and distribution of parts and
supplies used by maintenance personnel in line, hanger and shop
maintenance activities
Stores areas, or parts issue points, are placed near the various work
centers to allow mechanics quick access to parts and supplies to
minimize the time to obtain those parts

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 E. Materiel Directorate

3. Inventory control
Responsible for ensuring that the part and supplies on hand are
sufficient for the normal, expected usage rate without tying up
excessive funds in no-moving items and without running out of stock
too soon or too often for commonly used items

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 E. Materiel Directorate

4. Shipping and receiving

Responsible of packing, waybill preparation (‫لشحن‬##‫ة ا‬###‫وليص‬###‫عداد ب‬#‫)إ‬,
insurance, customs, etc, for outgoing materials, as well as customs
clearance, unpacking, receiving inspection, tagging, etc, for incoming
materials
This includes all parts being shipped into and out of the airline

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 The M&E Organizational Chart

F. Manager Level Functions – Maintenance program evaluation

Directorate (MPE)
Responsible for the continuing analysis and surveillance system
(CASS) activities. The unit’s functions include:
1. Quality assurance (QA)
2. Quality Control (QC)
3. Reliability
4. Safety

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 Organizational Structure for Midsized Airline
Typical maintenance and engineering organization
VP Maintenance and Engineering

Technical Aircraft Shop Maintenance

Materiel program evaluation
services Maintenance maintenance

Quality
Engineering Hanger Engine purchasing assurance

Quality
Planning Line Avionics stores control

Reliability
Training MCC Mechanical Inventory

Maintenance control center

Safety
Publications Structures Receiving

Computer Figure.1 GSE Ground support equipment

VP: Vice President
 F. Maintenance program evaluation directorate

1. Quality Assurance (QA)

1. The manager of QA is responsible for assuring that all units of M&E
adhere (#‫لتزم‬##‫ )ا‬to the company policies and procedures as well as FAA
requirements.
2. The manager of the QA sets the standards for the M&E operation,
and the QA auditors ensure compliance to those standards through
yearly audits
3. QA is also responsible for auditing outside suppliers and contactors
for compliance with the company’s and regulatory authority’s
regulations.

47
 F. Maintenance program evaluation directorate

2. Quality Control (QC)

1. The manager of QC is responsible for conducting routine inspections
of maintenance and repair work, certifying maintenance and
inspection personnel, and management of the required inspection
items (RIIs) program.
2. The management of the required inspection items (RIIs) program
involves the identification of RIIs and the certification of specific
personnel authorized to inspect and accept the work
3. QC department is responsible for the calibration of maintenance
tools and test equipment and performs or oversees the
nondestructive testing and inspection (NDT/NDI) procedures

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 F. Maintenance program evaluation directorate

3. Reliability
1. The manager of Reliability is responsible for conducting the
organization’s reliability program and ensuring that any problem
areas are promptly (‫ورا‬###‫ )ف‬addressed.
2. This responsibility includes data collection and analysis, identification
of possible problem areas ( which are then addresses in detail by
engineering), and publication of the monthly reliability report

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 F. Maintenance program evaluation directorate

4. Safety
1. The safety organization is responsible for developing, implementing,
and administering the safety- and health-related activities within
M&E organization
2. The safety manager is also responsible for handling all reports and
claims regarding M&E safety issues.

50
 Variations from Typical Organization

1. Small Airlines
2. Large airlines

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 Variations from Typical Organization

1. Small Airlines
May not be able follow the typical organizational chart for two reasons:
1. They may not have enough personnel to populate all these positions
2. They may not have enough work to keep all, or some of these people
occupied full time
It is obvious that the management structure must be altered, and this
can be done by:
1. Due to size and personnel limitations, one individual or one section may be
asked to perform more than of these functions.

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 Variations from Typical Organization

1. Large Airlines
 They might need more than one maintenance base. They will use different
organizational flow chart than in Fig.1
 There will be a need for a hanger maintenance organization at each base
where that type of work is done
 It maybe necessary, to have a cooperate-level manager responsible for both
units, as well as separate managers at each site.

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