It Does More Than Keep Your Plane in the Air
You can let your home or automobile miss a couple rounds of maintenance with few repercussions – but your private jet is a completely different story.
Your ability to operate your private jet hinges upon aircraft maintenance, with regulating bodies putting forth requirements that you must meet – or stay grounded. And if the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other agencies aren’t enough to convince you, consider your own comfort and safety as you fly around the globe to attend important business meetings or travel for leisure.
Explore five key reasons why aircraft maintenance is so important – especially if you intend to keep flying for years to come.
Aircraft Maintenance Reduces Operating Costs
Aircraft repairs are never inexpensive, and parts are rarely easy to source, unless you have a jet services program supporting your fleet and overseeing supply change nuances for you. When your aircraft needs to be fixed, you’re paying for downtime, for the mechanic’s labor, for the equipment, and possibly additional hangar fees, should your jet be grounded away from home. If parts aren’t readily available, wait times can be quite long.
A well-maintained aircraft doesn’t generally have problems pop up at inopportune times, and thorough inspections of evaluations find minor issues before they become big ones. As such, your operating costs are lower – despite paying for the inspections – because they are, in short, cheaper than making extensive repairs.
Frequent Aircraft Maintenance Protects the Value of Your Jet
Aircraft maintenance extends the life of your private jet. Jets that have been meticulously maintained are airworthy for longer than those that have been neglected. And even older jets with complete maintenance records hold their value well. This is because jet buyers are looking for planes that will last them for years to come – and they know that neglected jets won’t do that.
As such, your jet will maintain its value when it receives regular maintenance.
If you intend to sell your jet to upgrade to a newer model, you’ll want to ensure you’ve been maintaining it properly to get the highest offers possible from potential buyers.
Maintenance Ensures Your Plane Meets Regulations
Throughout the time you own your aircraft, governing bodies will require it to meet certain standards in order for you to operate it. Annual and 100-hour inspections, detailed notes about airworthiness, manufacturer’s bulletins, daily and pre-flight inspections, and more must be documented, per various FAA regulations in the United States.
Depending on the country you live in, your regulations could be different. But the bottom line is that if you expect to fly your private jet, you must provide regular and routine maintenance, and part of that is conducting thorough inspections to spot issues before they become major and dangerous problems. To learn what is required, look to your country’s regulators.
Aircraft Maintenance Keeps Flights Running on Time
Subpar maintenance practices may not reveal mechanical issues or wear and tear to parts and components. As a result, your jet may be unable to fly, resulting in flight cancellations or delays. If you’re operating a private jet for a corporation, this could be the difference between closing an important business deal and missing out.
Maintenance Keeps Passengers Safe and Comfortable
A properly-maintained aircraft operated by skilled pilots delivers a smooth ride for everyone in the cabin. Cabin pressure, climate, and noise are all within comfortable ranges, and passengers can enjoy cabin amenities.
On well-maintained private jets, passengers do not need to worry about the flight, and can sit back and relax, or get work done – whichever they prefer.
Securing a Jet Maintenance Program for Your Fleet
When it comes to aircraft maintenance, your operations department doesn’t do it alone. Jet service providers play a pivotal and necessary role in keeping your jet functioning like it should. This is why many jet owners turn to them to sign up for their maintenance tracking and service programs to take the guesswork out of it altogether.
These maintenance experts anticipate when your aircraft will need upgrades or repairs based on flight hours, condition, best practices, and data collected on similar aircraft. They also log inspections and work completed on the jet, which transfers with it should you ever sell it.
In short, a maintenance program takes the onus off your team to care for a private jet so you can focus on important business development pursuits instead – or on scheduling your next trip for work, play, or both.
