Line maintenance is a form of routine maintenance every aircraft has to undergo. Line maintenance, which is done at the gate itself, is carried out during normal turnaround periods, when an aircraft arrives after a flight, and is being serviced before the next flight. Line maintenance occurs simultaneously with aircraft refuelling, baggage loading, cleaning and catering.
Technics, Dviation’s line maintenance branch
(Source: Dviation Group)
On a typical day at the Dviation Line Maintenance base at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, aircraft technicians and Licensed Aircraft Engineers (LAEs) gather round a TV screen, keenly watching the real-time track of their expected aircraft. This aircraft, scheduled to arrive at 5.57pm, flies in from Kathmandu, Nepal.
‘The aircraft is coming in from the North, so it has to make a U-turn over Malacca to line up with the runway,’ one LAE explains as the aircraft on the TV screen appears be making its way across Thai airspace.
At 5.30pm, a call is made to the KLIA Bay Allocation Office to find out which gate the aircraft is assigned to be parked at. By 5.45pm, two technicians, Ibrahim and Satheesh, together with two LAEs, Asyraf and JJ, are in their Dviation cars, driving to the aircraft’s allocated gate.
(Source: Dviation Group)
Donning fluorescent safety jackets and ear muffs, the maintenance team performs a search on the area at which the aircraft is to be parked – this search is to clear the tarmac of any objects that may be ingested into the engines, and cause foreign object damage. Once the area has been cleared of any unwanted objects, the team awaits the arrival of the aircraft, an A320.
Upon the aircraft’s arrival at the gate, an external walkaround check is done, as per the airline’s transit checklist. Ibrahim and Satheesh proceed to check the condition of the engines, landing gear, and aircraft underside, among other components that are listed in a checklist. Asyraf and JJ – who are B1 (mechanics) and B2 (avionics) LAEs, respectively – head up to the cockpit for checks.
Dviation technicians carrying out the external walkaround check
(Source: Dviation Group)
While the transit checks are ongoing, there is a lot of movement around the aircraft: refuelling, catering and baggage loading vehicles stat. Everything happens quickly, so as not to extend the turnaround time. During this time, it is very difficult to hear what’s happening due to the earmuffs and extremely loud aircraft noise; hence, it is crucial that the team is always aware of vehicle movements around them while they carry out the checks.
(Source: Dviation Group)
The whole process takes around an hour. Depending on how tight the schedule is, some maintenance checks take place within 20 to 45 minutes. Once the transit checks are done, the LAEs – Asyraf and JJ – certify the checks by signing off and stamping the technical log.
(Source: Dviation Group)
When the aircraft is ready for pushback, this signifies the end of the team’s duties. The aircraft departs and the team returns to the Dviation base to await the next scheduled arrival.