Maintenance costs associated with aircraft operation can be accurately quantified, evaluated and reduced through use of commonly collected data. Potential expenditures for equipment upgrade, specific problem resolution and cost drivers can be evaluated. This paper describes an actual maintenance cost reduction exercise performed by Douglas Aircraft Company (DAC) and an operator. The exercise resulted in estimated maintenance cost reductions for the operator in excess of $1 million for ten components over a 3 year period. The process recommended herein allows the capability of comparisons between operations, transparent of accounting system differences. In-service improvements and next generation aircraft are benefiting through equipment designed for low cost operation.
