Qatar Airways Technic Cuts Turnarounds, Eyes Engine OEM JVs

DOHA, Qatar—Qatar Airways Technic is focused on reducing maintenance turnaround times to improve aircraft availability and fuel the airline’s growth.

The MRO unit is also considering potential collaboration with major OEMs.

“We are working on a few initiatives. One of the key performance indicators is OTP [on-time performance] aircraft availability,” Qatar Airways Chief Technical Officer (CTO) Ali Al Saadi told Aviation Week at the MRO facilities in Doha.

“As an MRO, we want to be efficient, reduce turnaround time, provide the highest safety and quality fleet, and offer more aircraft which the airline can utilize more frequently,” Al Saadi said. The concept is called “Growing Without Growing,” in which the company utilizes the same facility and the same fleet more effectively.

The carrier’s MRO facility at Doha Hamad International Airport is 500 m (1,640 ft.) wide, 48 m high, and offers around 95,000 m² (1 million ft.²) in size. It can handle maintenance for around eight widebody aircraft simultaneously. “Giving the continuous growth of our fleet, we are running out of space, but we do optimize capacity to handle more checks,” Al Saadi said.

The facility has advanced docking stations for heavy maintenance on all aircraft types in Qatar’s fleet. “It is all about aircraft availability and ensuring that aircraft are returned to service as quickly as possible while maintaining the highest levels of safety, product quality and cost efficiency. This ensures Qatar Airways growth,” Al Saadi said. Optimizing space, capacity, and technology are among the primary goals.

“We are also looking into new technologies to enhance our processes by utilizing AI and the latest advancements available,” Al Saadi explained. “This includes improving inspections through drones, robotic systems, enhanced tooling, processes, MRO systems and docking equipment.”

Al Saadi emphasized the high standards required to maintain Qatar’s brand, stressing that maintaining the company’s aircraft is a rigorous process, “requiring proper production planning, aircraft health monitoring, defect control, preventative maintenance, detailed analysis and monitoring, strategic supply chain management, and benchmarking against industry best practices. Above all, it relies on qualified, trained and experienced staff in each area to drive this process.”

Al Saadi highlighted the importance of efficient aircraft docking.

“Docking in and out is a complex process. There is a lot of automation happening with new technologies, which we can integrate into our facilities. We are aiming for fully equipped docking systems, like an elevated floor for employees,” Al Saadi said. “The system will fit seamlessly with the aircraft, avoiding unnecessary damage or interaction, enhancing safety, and boosting staff efficiency and productivity.”

An automated docking system could bring a 30-40% time efficiency. “Counting how many times you dock in and dock out, you automatically increase productivity and efficiency,” Al Saadi said. This efficiency could allow an 9-10% increase in the number of aircraft checks in one year.  “We are targeting this project very soon,” he added.

Other initiatives already have yielded success. A-check turnaround time has been reduced by 10%, cutting it from 24 hrs. to 22 hrs. “Now we are targeting over a 20% reduction, including washing the aircraft. This allows us to return an aircraft to the airline 5 hrs. sooner than before,” he said.

Qatar performs comprehensive maintenance programs for aircraft systems, components, APUs and engines. “But we are not yet performing full engine overhauls,” Al Saadi noted. “There’s significant work happening in our workshops and engine facilities.”

“However, we are building additional capabilities, working on different joint ventures and exploring market opportunities to establish our own component repair, APU and engine overhaul facilities here,” he said. “We are already in close discussions with the major players. That’s the vision: to build our own overhaul center.”

Regarding a timeline, Al Saadi said, “Sooner is better, but I can’t name a specific timeframe right now.”

The Qatar Airways Technic team consists of approximately 3,700 employees with 2,000 dedicated to MRO operations, including maintenance and production. The airline’s fleet of around 270 aircraft operates nearly 600 flights daily, offering approximately 70,000 seats.