What are the MRO service types in ch-aviation?

ch-aviation tracks Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities and the services they provide. Each facility is categorised by the type of work it performs. Here is what each service type means.

Maintenance services

• Line + A
  Line maintenance covers limited tasks carried out while the aircraft remains in its operating environment — typically on the apron without requiring a hangar. This includes troubleshooting, defect rectification, component replacement (including engines and propellers), and minor repairs that do not require significant disassembly. A-checks fall within this category.
• Base maintenance
  Base maintenance takes the aircraft out of service for an extended period — typically more than one day — and is carried out in a hangar with specialised tools. It covers heavier tasks such as C and D checks, structural work, corrosion prevention, interior refurbishment, and the replacement of major components.
• Repairs
  This covers repair work that does not fall under base maintenance — for example, structural repairs following damage or manufacturer-directed rectification campaigns. This service type is not limited to OEM facilities.

Fleet transition services

• Induction
  When an aircraft enters an operator's fleet for the first time, an MRO may carry out induction work to align the aircraft's instruments and equipment with the rest of the operator's fleet standards.
• Transition
  Similar to induction, but the aircraft is being transferred from one operator to another. The receiving operator's MRO carries out the work to bring the aircraft up to its own fleet standards before entering service.
• Lease return
  When an aircraft exits an operator's fleet at the end of a lease, it typically needs to be returned in a specific condition as defined by the lease contract. The operator ferries the aircraft to an MRO facility to carry out the required work before returning it to the lessor.

Modification & conversion services

• Conversion
  Conversion facilities modify an aircraft from one variant to another — most commonly from passenger to freighter configuration. This involves structural changes such as cargo door installation and floor reinforcement. Work is carried out under Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs).
• Modifications
  Unlike conversions, modification work does not change the aircraft variant. Examples include reconfiguring cargo compartments, installing Wi-Fi systems, or fitting special equipment.
• Completion
  Specialist completion centres design, modify, install, and certify aircraft interiors and related systems. This is common for business aviation and VIP aircraft.
• Paint
  Paint facilities service a wide range of operators — including one-off customers — and are not always linked to a specific airline's regular maintenance programme.

Production & delivery

• Production
  The location where the aircraft is built. This can only be linked to an OEM. Production and delivery locations are not always the same — for example, the A380 was produced in Toulouse but delivered from Hamburg-Finkenwerder.
• Delivery
  The location at which the aircraft is formally delivered to its first operator. This may differ from the production facility.

End-of-life services

• Storage
  Storage facilities hold inactive aircraft. Unlike most other MRO service types, storage facilities do not have fixed links to specific airline customers, as aircraft from any operator may be stored there.
• Part-out
  Part-out providers dismantle retired aircraft and recover usable components. These facilities operate at known locations but similarly have no fixed customer relationships in the data.

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