When an aircraft goes AOG (Aircraft on Ground), every minute counts. Grounded planes can cost airlines tens of thousands of dollars per hour in lost revenue, disrupted schedules, and disappointed passengers and customers.
In the high-stakes world of aviation maintenance and operations, the difference between quick recovery and costly delays often comes down to smarter spare parts strategies and strong supplier partnerships.
Success starts with efficient, reliable on-ground aircraft component sourcing, ensuring critical parts are identified, verified, and delivered without delay. In this post, learn how you can drive down AOG time and stay a step ahead of disruption.
Aircraft downtime is among the most expensive operational risks in commercial aviation. According to Boeing, a one-to-two-hour AOG event can cost $10,000 in downtime, and actual costs of such delays can run as high as $150,000, depending on aircraft type and operational context. And those Boeing estimates were made in 2008, with today’s value of AOG events ranging from $15,000 to $225,000.
The costs stack up quickly:
When an AOG event strikes, rapid access to the right components is the difference between a swift recovery and escalating costs. For operators, an agile spares strategy is essential to minimize both financial and operational fallout.
AOG response time depends less on what happens during the incident and more on the quality of planning beforehand. Airlines and MROs that treat spare parts management as a proactive discipline consistently recover faster and minimize costs.
A comprehensive spares strategy includes:
By integrating these practices, operators move from scrambling for parts under pressure to executing confidently on prepared solutions, shortening downtime, and protecting the bottom line.
The most sophisticated inventory strategy still hinges on one essential element: supplier performance. A responsive, well-connected AOG parts partner can spell the difference between resolving a delay within hours or facing an overnight grounding and steep costs.
Evaluate potential partners using these criteria:
At Source One Spares, our specialists respond within minutes of notification. With robust on-hand inventory, international reach, and decades of aviation logistics expertise, we deliver the critical solutions that get your aircraft back in service quickly and reliably.
Digital analytics and real-time tracking are reshaping how airlines and MROs anticipate and respond to AOG events. By harnessing integrated maintenance histories, reliability patterns, and supplier KPIs, aviation teams can pinpoint which parts pose the greatest risk and act before delays occur.
Best practices include:
Leveraging smart data practices enables operators to move from reacting to disruptions to achieving true predictive readiness, minimizing both disruption and cost.
Strategically positioning spare parts is crucial for minimizing AOG lead times, especially for airlines with operations spanning multiple regions. By pre-staging high-demand parts maintenance hubs or regional depots, operators can prevent shipping delays and cut downtime dramatically.
For example:
Partnering with a global supplier like Source One Spares ensures you have tailored inventory coverage, optimized for both your operational footprint and your fleet’s unique maintenance needs.
Leading AOG support programs move beyond basic transactions to form collaborative partnerships, giving airlines and MROs a true operational edge. The best suppliers engage in joint demand forecasting, hold regular performance reviews, and set shared KPIs to drive ongoing improvement and accountability.
At Source One Spares, long-term relationships are built by aligning with each customer’s unique operational goals. From managing consignment inventory to providing alternate part solutions, our team is dedicated to ensuring component availability and minimizing AOG time, keeping your fleet flying safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively.
|
Strategy Area |
AOG Impact | Best Practice |
| Spares Forecasting | Prevents shortages before they occur | Use fleet reliability data for prediction |
| Supplier Partnering | Enables rapid recovery | Work with 24/7 suppliers offering traceable stock |
| Logistics Planning | Reduces shipping delays | Prearrange freight and customs channels |
| Data & Analytics | Informs smarter decisions | Track MTBUR and fulfillment metrics |
| Regional Stocking | Cuts transit time | Position critical spares at major hubs |
Unexpected technical issues are inevitable in aviation, but lengthy AOG disruptions are not. By integrating proactive spares planning and building reliable supplier partnerships, airlines and MROs can convert costly downtime into rapid, predictable recovery.
With Source One Spares, operators gain responsive AOG support, immediate access to a broad component inventory, and a proven track record of reliability, so your aircraft spends more time in the air and less on the ground.
Contact Source One Spares today to learn how our aviation AOG parts supplier's best practices can help you reduce delay time and boost your fleet’s operational readiness.