Analytic hierarchy process in determining aircraft basic maintenance training durations

Purpose Currently, in aircraft basic maintenance training, it is determined that various aircraft basic maintenance training organizations around the world apply different basic maintenance durations for the same modules of the same licence categories. Aircraft basic maintenance training organizations are lacking a common curriculum with standard durations for the basic maintenance training modules. To remedy the problems associated with this issue, the purpose of this study is to develop and demonstrate a quantifiable reference (i.e. theoretical training and evaluation content intensity) based scientific theoretical method to determine the durations of the basic theoretical maintenance trainings held for B1.1 and B2 licence categories in aircraft basic maintenance training organizations. Design/methodology/approach The total basic maintenance training duration was first allocated to basic, theoretical and practical maintenance trainings. The obtained basic theoretical maintenance training duration was then allocated to related modules and submodules by using weighted theoretical training content intensity and weighted theoretical evaluation content intensity, which were obtained by applying a multi-criteria decision-making approach using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Findings In this study, it was found that there is no standardization upon aircraft basic maintenance training organizations for the allocation of the basic maintenance training durations to modules. To remedy this problem, a scientific method, which relies on quantifiable reference bases rather than subjective reasoning, is needed. The reference bases of the proposed theoretical method (i.e. theoretical training and evaluation content intensity) can be tuned with the inclusion of the effect of basic knowledge requirements through multi-criteria decision-making (AHP). The theoretical method proposed in this work is robust in terms of resulting in close proximity values of the basic theoretical maintenance training durations for the common modules of B1.1 and B2 licence categories. The theoretical method is proven to yield greater basic theoretical maintenance training durations for modules having greater theoretical training and evaluation content intensity and lower basic theoretical maintenance training durations for modules having less theoretical training and evaluation content intensity. A distinct similarity in terms of basic theoretical maintenance training durations and the ranking of the modules (in terms of durations) is not present when the average of the training organizations is compared to the results of the theoretical method. A quantifiable reference (i.e. theoretical training and evaluation content intensity) based scientific theoretical method to determine basic theoretical maintenance training durations was developed and demonstrated. Practical implications Results of this study would especially be useful in an international effort to standardize the different basic theoretical maintenance training durations applied in various aircraft basic maintenance training organizations. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first in providing and demonstrating a scientific theoretical method based on a systematic, multi-criteria decision-making approach to determine the durations of the basic theoretical maintenance trainings.