The Commercial Aircraft Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) Market size is estimated at USD 100.99 billion in 2026.* We’ll look at several applications of Lean and Six Sigma in aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul and finish with a video of the largest North American aircraft repair facility.

*Source

Lean Six Sigma Applied to Enhance Operational Performance in Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul Facility
In a paper titled “The implementation of a Lean Six Sigma framework to enhance operational performance in an MRO facility” authors J. Hill and others discuss the use of an integrated Lean Six Sigma framework to identify the factors that affect supply chain performance in an aerospace Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility.
The paper includes:

 Non-value-added analysis of Jet B Facility – Current and Future States
 Operational Build Stage System
 Cause and Effect Diagram for Late Calls
 Current and Future State Value Stream Analyses
 Pareto Chart for Late Calls (Defective Items)
 Missed Inspection Data
 Correlation Matrix Between Missed Inspections and Contact Hours
 Missed Inspection Data Versus Number of Late Calls
 Jet B Production Control Board
 Order to Receipt (OTR) and Late Call Improvement Trends

Click on the following link to access the paper.
[Citation: J. Hill, A. J. Thomas, R. K. Mason-Jones & S. El-Kateb (2018)The implementation of a Lean Six Sigma framework to enhance operational performance in an MRO facility, Production Manufacturing Research, 6:1, 26-48, DOI: 10.1080/21693277.2017.1417179]

Applying Lean Methods for Aircraft Maintenance Processes
In a paper titled “Application of Lean Methods into Aircraft Maintenance Processes” authors Borut Pogačnik, Jože Tavčar, and Jože Duhovnik discuss the application of Lean methods in aircraft maintenance processes for continuous improvement and the elimination of non-value-added activities.The paper includes:
 Analysis Flow Chart
 Work Activities Ratio between VAA and NVAA and Time Consumed Percentage of Each Phase of
Work
 Work Activities Subgroups Portions
 Analyzed Aircraft Position and New Aircraft Position in Hangar
 Work Activities Ratio Between New VAA and New NVAA
 Corrective Actions Overview
Click on the following link and find the download button in the upper right.

Applying Value Stream Mapping Methodology to Aircraft Maintenance Services
In a paper titled “Enhancing Aircraft Maintenance Services: A VSM Based Case Study” authors Dorota
Stadnicka and R.M. Chandima Ratnayake discuss the use of VSM-based (value stream mapping)
methodology together with other tools to minimize the lead-time of aircraft maintenance services.
The paper includes:
 Current State Value Stream Map
 Activities Undertaken in the Maintenance of an Aircraft
 Future State Value Stream Map
Click on the following link to read the paper.

A Review of Lean in the Aviation Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul Industry
In a PhD thesis titled “Enhancing Competitive Advantage Through Successful Lean Realisation within the Aviation Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Industry” author P. Ayeni researches how Lean implementation can achieve competitive advantage in the aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul industry.
The thesis includes:
 Overview of Research Program
 Thesis Structure Chart
 State of the Art of Lean in Aviation MRO
 MRO-type Functions and Logistics
 Key Publications in Aviation MRO
 Summary of Key Findings from Literature Review
 Summary of Key Gaps Identified from the Literature Review
 Overview of Typical MRO Operations
 Spread of the Type of Tools Adopted by the MRO Industry
 Summary of Findings from the Empirical Study
 Threats of New Entrants Affects the Competitive Environment for the Existing Competitors
o Economies of Scale
o Product Differentiation
o Capital Requirements
o Other Cost Advantages
o Switching Costs
o Distribution Networks
 Case Study using the modified FMEA to validate Lufthansa Technik Landing Gear Service (LTLGS) Lean
Application
o Personnel Resource
o Equipment
o Materials
o Schedule

You can access the thesis here:

Aircraft Maintenance at North America’s Largest Repair Facility
Get an overview of the largest aircraft repair facility in North America for Delta Airlines in this video from Insider Business.
You can view the video here.