The Effect of Long-Term Aircraft Parking on Propulsion Units During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Aircraft maintenance is a key factor in air transport. It is essential for any operator to maintain the airworthiness of the aircraft while proceeding according to aviation safety standards. Maintenance involves a number of procedures where it is important that they are performed efficiently and correctly in terms of time. During the Covid-19 pandemic, a large number of aircraft were grounded. Maintenance procedures for these aircraft had to be different than those used during normal operations. In some cases, the insufficient number of qualified maintenance personnel was a major problem. In addition, the large number of aircraft grounded resulted in some of them being parked in locations with unfavorable atmospheric conditions. The objective of this work is to verify the influence of weather conditions on aircraft engines during long-term parking. The experimental verification was conducted using artificially generated atmospheric conditions in the test chamber environment in the presence of salt spray. The aim of this test was to simulate the corrosive effect of the given environment on the selected turbine engine components. The results show what could happen to the turbine engines if certain conditions were not maintained during the long-term aircraft parking at Covid-19. Based on this, the research points to the importance of implementing proper maintenance procedures for long-term aircraft parking. We show how the type of atmosphere in which the aircraft is in for an extended period of time can affect the engines. The results can help identify critical components of turbine engines whose corrosion resistance is inadequate in some cases. As a result, certain maintenance steps can be carried out more efficiently and unnecessary deterioration of engine components due to weathering can be prevented. This can not only increase engine safety and reliability, but also save operators a lot of money.