The data is in: Boeing real-time alerts mark 20-year milestone

Grounded flights due to maintenance issues can be a major headache for both passengers and airlines. But what if there was a way to prevent or even predict these disruptions before they happen?

A solution offered by Boeing Global Services, Airplane Health Management (AHM), was introduced 20 years ago and continues helping airlines manage complex maintenance schedules and stay on top of developing risk conditions today.

By the numbers:

• Global Reach: Over 120 airlines and 4,800 airplanes use AHM.
• Data-Driven: Manages 43 billion maintenance records and evaluates 4.2 million conditions daily.
• Communication: Sends 640,000 ground-to-air messages annually for up-to-date information.

Why it matters:

AHM provides real-time monitoring that allows operators to better understand the condition of their airplanes and turn information into action while the aircraft is still inflight.

Its advanced prognostic capabilities predict potential system failures, enabling scheduled maintenance to avoid unexpected disruptions.

Upgrading from Classic to New AHM: The new dashboard offers a persona-based design and improved performance for streamlined aircraft health management. (Boeing Images)

In celebration of its 20th anniversary, Boeing is introducing AHM 2.0, featuring a refreshed interface, enhanced prognostics, self-service analytics, and new alert categories.

A history of reliable maintenance:

AHM started with a simple goal: improve maintenance reliability using data. Today, it's an integral part of airline operations, helping manage complex data sets and minimize downtime.

John Maggiore, AHM’s first product manager (now retired), recalled its origins: “Airplane Health Management started with a meeting in 1999 with 747-400 fleet chiefs, with a goal to improve fleet availability using data.”

“We spoke to customers about the possibility of leveraging the data coming off airplanes to reduce aircraft downtime – they quickly let us know that Boeing should definitely develop something like that,” Maggiore said.

Forward thinking:

This year, AHM will also introduce a new feature – Scheduled Maintenance Credit. This innovation uses onboard sensors to remotely analyze data, providing insights into necessary maintenance actions or monitoring for optimal replacement times.

• Enhances maintenance systems by reducing reliance on physical inspections at set intervals.
• Lowers maintenance costs while maintaining rigorous standards, especially during a shortage of mechanics and technicians.
• Improves airline sustainability by increasing aircraft efficiency and reducing carbon-intensive onsite maintenance checks.

“Operators can now accomplish mandatory maintenance tasks using data within AHM,” said Laura Garnett, executive director of technical operations at Boeing Digital aviation solutions. “Instead, having to send a mechanic out to check each aircraft manually after a certain amount of time – to achieve a continued airworthiness maintenance program.”

Unmatched scale:

Airplane Health Management is part of the Digital Aviation Solutions portfolio of Boeing Global Services. Its growth and adoption over the past 20 years includes numerous airplane types.

• Currently, it is used by 747; 777; 717; 737NG; 737MAX; 757; 767; 787; MD10 and MD11 global fleets.

You can learn more about Airplane Health Management by visiting services.boeing.com/ahm.