According to the International Journal of Science & Research (IJSR), an aircraft induction can be defined as "a pivotal process in the aviation industry that involves the seamless integration of a new aircraft into an airline's fleet or an aviation organization's operations."
It goes on to state that the primary objective of a successful aircraft induction is,
"The primary objective of aircraft induction is to ensure that the new aircraft meets all safety, regulatory, and operational requirements while aligning with the airline's specific needs, standards, and operational workflows."
This complex process involves close collaboration with a variety of parties, such as aircraft manufacturers, government agencies, and maintenance providers, among others, and often starts several years before the aircraft is delivered.
There are many steps involved in the aircraft induction process, including:
- Acquisition
- Documentation and approvals
- Maintenance programs and training
- Delivery and ferry flight.
Let's take a closer look at what this means for the airline at each step of the way.
The first, and perhaps the most obvious step in the process, is to acquire the aircraft in the first place. In the majority of cases, this will involve the airline purchasing or leasing the aircraft. In the case of new aircraft, this is normally done directly with the manufacturer, such as Boeing or Airbus.
Part of the acquisition process includes negotiating the terms of the purchase or lease, contract agreement, and initial payment.
The length of time between an aircraft being ordered and delivered can be substantial. For example, Boeing currently has a delivery backlog of over 6,000 aircraft, of which more than 4,000 are Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. Among the airlines awaiting delivery of the 737 MAX are:
|
Airline |
Orders |
Deliveries |
|---|---|---|
|
Southwest Airlines |
691 |
217 |
|
United Airlines |
510 |
176 |
|
Lion Air |
251 |
22 |
|
American Airlines |
215 |
62 |
|
Akasa Air |
206 |
4 |
In preparation for the aircraft's arrival, one of the first things that an airline must do is to ensure it has all the correct approvals to be able to operate the aircraft, liaising with government bodies in order to obtain it.
The approval will come from a different government body, depending on where the airline and aircraft are registered:
- US - Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
- European Union - European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
- UK - Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
- Australia - Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA)
- Canada - Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA).
Part of this approval will come in the form of an airworthiness certificate, authorizing the airline to operate that specific aircraft.
To assist with preparations, the airline will also receive technical manuals and instructions from the aircraft manufacturer, containing details about the aircraft's maintenance, repair, and operation.
The aircraft must also be registered. The first letter(s) of an aircraft's registration indicates the country in which it is registered, as set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Some examples include:
- C - Canada
- D - Germany
- G - UK
- N - US
- VH - Australia
- VT - India
- ZK/ZL - New Zealand.
Once the aircraft's technical documentation has been received, the airline can plan its relevant maintenance programs. These are important in ensuring the aircraft remains in a safe and operational state.
Going hand-in-hand with the aircraft's maintenance programs is the need for training for the airline's personnel. Any employee that comes into contact with the aircraft will need to be trained on areas specific to their role.
This includes the likes of pilots, cabin crew, and ground crew, all of whom have a different but equally important role to play in the safe operation of an aircraft.
A complete training plan often comprises both initial and recurrent training, which can sometimes be completed online instead of face-to-face.
Manuals and operating processes will also need to be updated in order to ensure everybody is aware of their roles and responsibilities at all times.
If the airline already operates the same or similar aircraft, the training process becomes much easier, as there are often many similarities between aircraft of the same family - for example, the Airbus A319, A320, and A321 all belong to what is known as the A320 family, allowing for interoperability.
The delivery flight will need to be crewed, and among the questions that may come up as part of the organization of the delivery flight include how the crew will reach the departure point and if the aircraft will fly directly to its arrival destination or make a stopover en route.
A delivery flight can also be the ideal opportunity for the airline to generate some positive press coverage about the upcoming aircraft launch.
This is particularly the case when talking about large airlines taking delivery of a new aircraft type, such as when Emirates recently received its first Airbus A350.
From its base at Dubai International Airport (DXB), the carrier plans to deploy its Airbus A350s to a number of destinations across the world, including:
- Edinburgh (EDI)
- Muscat (MCT)
- Colombo (CMB)
- Lyon (LYS)
- Bologna (BLQ).
In August 1989, a ferry flight of Qantas' first Boeing 747-400 made headlines when it flew non-stop from London Heathrow (LHR) to Sydney (SYD).
