Human Factors in Aircraft Maintenance: a Preliminary Information Paper

Maintenance constitutes a significant and rising cost to the airline industry. In the USA, maintenance costs are increasing as a proportion of airline operating costs. In 1989 maintenance constituted 11-8% of US airline operating costs or greater than US$8 billion per year (Shepherd 1991). The annual cost to the Australian airline industry is likely to be in the order of A$500 million per year.