Aircraft on Ground (AOG) is a term in aviation maintenance indicating that a problem is preventing an aircraft from flying. In all cases there is a rush to acquire the parts to put the aircraft (A/C) back into service and prevent further delays or cancellations to the flight program.
Aircraft parts, flight crew or engineering staff need to be delivered as quick as possible to where the aircraft is located. That’s where the Air Partner team comes into play. Mike Hill, Director Group Freight, explains more about what that means for airlines and how Air Partner can help.
How often do Aircraft on Ground situations happen and do you see a development on the market?
An AOG is an unexpected event, so it can happen at any time. But there is a busier period becoming apparent during the peak holiday season when air traffic is increasing, particularly in summer. Airlines are continuously trying to combat these situations. As an AOG is usually a very expensive event for airlines, their objective is to constantly optimize their procurement logistics by having efficient solutions whilst keeping their costs to a minimum which could have effects on the market and the demand of time critical air cargo projects for the long term.
What effects does an AOG have for airlines?
There are extensive and costly consequences of disruptions for airlines in flight operations. First of all, there are financial implications like the loss of flying revenue, the increased compensation claims by passengers as per EU261/2004 and the costs of backup aircraft and transport solutions. This can cost an airline up to GBP120,000 an hour.
To make things worse an aircraft that can’t go airborne is a big impact on the fleet. Airlines experience reduced capacity and a “knock-on” effect on schedules and crew planning especially in peak season.
Above all there are emotional implications airlines have to deal with like passenger inconvenience through delays and flight cancellations as well as the damage to corporate reputation, especially with social media, twitter etc.
Air cargo charter or OBC services are the most important ways to deliver these urgent aircraft parts.
That’s why the procurement logistics in the event of an AOG is subject to extremely high demands. The requirements to quality, safety and speed are extreme. Depending on the spare parts request a highest possible flexibility in delivery is very important.
What does an AOG enquiry mean for Air Partner and how can Air Partner help?
The extreme time-critical situation of an AOG means for any involved logistic companies to offer a minimum reaction time, constant availability, immediate information availability and active monitoring. Time and a reliable service is of utmost importance.
We are an experienced and qualified aviation service group that offer airlines the complete solution. We offer time critical charter and OBC solutions when it comes to an AOG and the required service around: rapid response, door-to-door services, 24/7 operations and personal account manager, global coverage and a unique supply chain visibility with RED-TRACK.
Besides the cargo charter and OBC service our aviation specialists can provide a solution within minutes for urgent movement of engineering staff or flight crew via private jet or any bigger charter passenger aircraft.
For airlines an AOG situation can also lead to ACMI and Leasing requirements. Our 24/7 sub-charter and leasing team provides airlines with a same day ‘go now’ ACMI service.
Last but not least our Air Partner Ops24 division supplies a complete outsourced flight operations service for all air cargo flights worldwide. Our 24/7 team of dedicated flight professionals manage all charter flight programs as they happen, from departure and arrival times to changing weather patterns, airport slots and positioning flights.
This team of experts is drawn from key areas of the industry including aircrew, ATC, flight dispatch, ground operations and international trip planning. Their individual knowledge and constantly updated qualifications keep them ahead of every change in company, regulatory and legislative requirements around the world.