Maintenance Planning Document (MPD) – The MPD is essentially generic across a particular fleet, is issued by the aircraft manufacturer, and applies to many aircraft, it is not customized and several (hundreds of) tasks are dependent for example on the aircraft modification status and its serial number.

It cannot under any circumstances be considered as a final list of tasks for a given tail number.

Aircraft Modification Status – The applicability of multiple tasks may be affected by the aircraft modification status. (The MPD may list a task as “pre-mod” or “post-mod”.)

To correctly set the tasks we must know the mod status of the aircraft to know which tasks are applicable and should be carried out.

Also, the aircraft may have custom modifications embodied, which often come with their maintenance tasks. (Via Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) controlled by Part 21 Subpart J Design organisations)

Not all STC tasks are automatically covered by the MPD, however the AMP must reflect the status of all required tasks.

Aircraft Airworthiness Directive Status (AD Status) – The AMP shall include all repetitive tasks that need to be performed on the aircraft, including for example repetitive inspections called for by airworthiness directives. All available and applicable, repetitive ADs must be included in the AMP.

Aircraft Service Bulletin Status (SB status) – Similarly to the modification status, the applicability of some tasks may be dependent on the configuration status of specific service bulletins.

Note - Some SBs may require repetitive inspections in which case, similarly as with the ADs, such inspections should be included in the AMP.

Operator Reliability Program – This should be developed continuously following detailed analysis of the in-service events and feedback from the component strip reports.

Task Escalation / De-Escalation

The Continuous Airworthiness Manager (CAM) may based on the assessment of sufficient data propose to reduce the periodicity of the maintenance intervals for given tasks, or to propose extensions. (In both cases, the permission will need to be given by the appropriate aviation authority)

Approved Maintenance Program Change Drivers

Typically driven by a periodic review AMP will be assessed to demonstrate an acceptable level of effectiveness, this is mandatory driven by EASA regulatory obligations.

The AMP may change because the source documents change. Typically each & every time the MPD changes it drives the obligation for a review and update of the AMP. 

How is an Approved Maintenance Program Actually “Approved”?

Both the AMP and AMP revision must be approved by the competent aviation authority. This can be a lengthy process, as the authority will need sufficient time to ensure that the AMP corresponds to the source documents.

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