Quick Passenger Manifest — Who’s in the Room?

• Which role are you representing in this conversation? Options: Director of Maintenance, VP / SVP Technical Operations, COO, Procurement, Fleet/Planning Manager, Other
• How many aircraft in your fleet will potentially touch this program (by type or fleet size)? Options: <10, 10–24, 25–49, 50–99, 100+
• Which primary platforms are in scope for your upcoming heavy checks? Options: Narrow‑body (e.g., A320 family, 737 NG/Max), Wide‑body (e.g., 767/777/787), Mixed fleet, Cargo conversions, Other
• When are your next scheduled C‑ or D‑checks that triggered this conversation? Options: 0–6 months, 6–12 months, 12–18 months, 18–24 months, 24+ months
• Tell us in your own words: what prompted you to explore an outside MRO partner now?

Are You Comfortable Betting On Current Turnarounds?

• When you commit an aircraft to a heavy check, how confident are you that the provider will meet the promised redelivery window? Options: Extremely confident, Generally confident, Mixed track record, Rarely confident
• What examples can you share of a provider missing promised turntimes—and what were the downstream impacts?
• How do you currently allocate financial exposure for late redelivery (e.g., reserve aircraft, lease, contractual penalties)? Options: Reserve spares in-house, Wet/dry lease, Insurance claims, Contractual SLA penalties, Ad‑hoc operational adjustments
• If you could change one thing about the way turntimes are guaranteed or enforced, what would it be?

What’s Really at Stake When a Check Runs Late?

• Beyond the immediate AOG loss, what consequences from an overrun keep you awake at night? Options: Network disruption, Customer/contract penalties, Crew scheduling impacts, Cargo revenue loss, Brand/reputation damage, Regulatory scrutiny
• Can you quantify a typical day‑out monetary impact for a core widebody vs a narrowbody in your operation?
• Who internally fields the escalation when an overrun becomes likely, and how long before leadership is involved? Options: Director of Maintenance, VP Technical Ops, COO, Operations Control, Procurement
• Describe a recent overrun that materially changed a commercial outcome—what happened and how did you respond?

Where Parts Shortages Bite the Most

• If parts availability is the single biggest bottleneck, which families create the most pain (airframe, engine, landing gear, specific rotable groups)? Options: Airframe structures, Engine LRU/pieces, Landing gear assemblies, Avionics LRUs, Hydraulic/pneumatic components, Other
• What are your typical lead times for critical rotable items today, and how often do they slip? Options: <1 week, 1–4 weeks, 1–3 months, 3+ months
• Do you prefer providers to hold dedicated rotable pools for you, or to work on a just‑in‑time sourcing model? Options: Dedicated dedicated pool (reserved), Shared pool with priority, Just‑in‑time sourcing, Hybrid — reserved critical parts only
• How much advance parts reservation (in $ or % of expected spend) would you be willing to commit to secure guaranteed availability? Options: None, Small deposit (<10%), Moderate (10–30%), Significant (>30%)
• Tell us about a parts delay story—what was the part, what did it cost in time/revenue, and how was it resolved?

Decision Paths: Who Holds the Keys — and How Fast Do They Turn?

• If a multi‑year PBH or slot commitment is on the table, who must approve it and in what order? Options: Director of Maintenance, VP Technical Ops, COO, Procurement, Finance/CFO, Other
• What approval thresholds (financial or contractual) trigger executive sign‑off in your organization? Options: <$250k, $250k–$1M, $1M–$5M, $5M+
• How long does an average commercial approval cycle take from LOI to signed contract? Options: <1 month, 1–3 months, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, 12+ months
• When procurement negotiates terms, what clauses are non‑negotiable for you (e.g., SLA penalties, audit rights, data sharing)? Options: SLA penalties, Audit & quality rights, Parts pricing floors, Escrow for records, Insurance & indemnity, Other
• Who would lead governance after contract award (monthly ops review, executive sponsors), and how frequently would you want cadence? Options: Operations owner (weekly), Program manager (biweekly), Director/VP review (monthly), Executive review (quarterly)

What Would 'Good' Actually Feel Like for Your Program?

• If this program succeeded beyond expectations, what three outcomes would matter most?
• Which KPIs do you absolutely want in the SLA (select all that apply)? Options: On‑time redelivery %, Average days out of service, AOG response time, Parts fill rate, Cost per flight hour, Quality escape rate
• Rank the relative importance of speed, cost, and risk transfer for your team. Options: Speed (fast redelivery) highest, Cost (lowest cash cost) highest, Risk transfer (PBH/guarantees) highest, Balanced equally
• What acceptance criteria must be met at handback before you release an aircraft (e.g., paperwork, functional checks, parts handover)? Options: Complete technical records, Functional & ground tests, Parts provisioning confirmation, No open deferred defects, Other
• How would success be measured at 3, 6, and 12 months after program start? Be specific if you can.

Risk Appetite: How Much Uncertainty Do You Tolerate?

• Would you trade a higher fixed monthly fee to reduce variability of maintenance spend, or prefer pay‑as‑you‑go with upside risk? Options: Prefer fixed fee (risk transfer), Prefer pay‑as‑you‑go (lower baseline), Hybrid
• How do you want to handle unexpected findings that materially increase cost or time—approve per event or commit to an escalation band? Options: Approve each event, Pre‑approved spend bands, Full provider responsibility above threshold, Other
• Have you previously accepted an SLA penalty mechanism? If so, did it meaningfully change behavior? Options: Yes — it worked, Yes — limited impact, No — never used, Not sure
• What mitigation levers would you expect from a provider when risk materializes (e.g., swap pools, expedited shipping, partial redelivery)? Options: Spare aircraft swap, Dedicated rotable dispatch, Expedited logistics at provider expense, Temporary leasing support, Other
• Tell us about a risk event that changed how your team thinks about outsourcing maintenance.

Hidden Costs and Escalations You Don’t Want

• What types of surprise charges or scope creep have been the hardest to predict or control? Options: Discovery rectifications, Non‑standard tooling fees, Extended storage/handling, Unexpected parts markup, Freight & customs delays, Other
• How do you prefer change orders to be handled and approved during a check? Options: Immediate phone approval, Formal written change order, Auto‑approval within thresholds, Standing delegated authority
• How would unexpected quality findings (rework or repeat shop visits) affect your trust in a provider, and what remedy would satisfy you?
• What past surprise led you to require stronger commercial protections in later contracts?
• Which commercial levers (penalties, escrow, holdbacks) feel fair to you to enforce performance without stifling operational flexibility? Options: SLA penalties, Escrow for parts/records, Performance holdbacks, Service credits, Other

Operational Fit: Slots, Hubs, and Day‑of Execution

• If our hangar isn’t at your main hub, how flexible are you about repositioning aircraft to a nearby facility? Options: Very flexible, Somewhat flexible, Only in specific cases, Not flexible
• What constraints most limit your slot flexibility (crew duty, airport curfews, cargo schedule commitments, line maintenance capacity)? Options: Crew duty limits, Airport curfews, Cargo contract windows, Line maintenance ties, Other
• When you reserve a slot, what guarantees do you require around start date, work scope, and redelivery day? Options: Firm start & redelivery dates, Window with penalties, Priority scheduling only, Other
• Who on your ops team will be the day‑of execution owner for handover and handback activities? Options: Line Maintenance Lead, Fleet Operations Manager, Program Manager, Director of Maintenance
• Describe how technical records and traceability must be transferred—what format, timing, and audit rights do you expect?

Pilot Programs and Safe First Steps — What Will Convince You?

• What would make a pilot program low‑risk and attractive (size, aircraft type, SLA duration, financial terms)?
• Would you consider a time‑boxed pilot (e.g., 3–6 months) with defined KPIs and exit rights? Options: Yes — prefer 3 months, Yes — prefer 6 months, Prefer single aircraft pilot, Prefer multi‑aircraft pilot, Not interested in pilot
• Which pilot KPI would be the single most persuasive (pick one)? Options: On‑time redelivery %, Parts fill rate, Days out of service, Cost variance vs estimate, Quality escape rate
• What governance and reporting cadence would you require during a pilot to feel comfortable scaling? Options: Daily ops updates, Weekly dashboard, Biweekly review, Monthly executive summary
• Who would sign off to expand from pilot to full program, and what evidence would they need?

Final Check: Commitment Signals & Practical Next Steps

• Based on our conversation, what would be a reasonable next milestone to keep momentum (e.g., site visit, draft commercial, pilot agreement)? Options: Site visit/inspection, Draft commercial term sheet, Pilot statement of work, Technical records review, Other
• Who else from your team should be involved in the next meeting and why?
• What remaining questions or concerns would you need answered to feel comfortable moving forward?
• How soon would you want a formal proposal or statement of work following this discovery? Options: Immediately (this week), Within 2 weeks, Within a month, Longer/undetermined
• On a scale of 1–10, how open are you to partnering with an external MRO to replace or augment in‑house heavy maintenance? Options: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Let’s Get a Snapshot of Your Fleet (quick)

• Which aircraft types will be in scope for heavy checks in the next 12–18 months? Options: A320 family, B737 NG/Classic, B737 MAX, A330 family, A350, B777, B787, Freighter (converted), Other - please specify
• Approximately how many C-checks and D-checks combined do you expect in that 12–18 month window? Options: 1–3, 4–6, 7–10, 11–20, 21+
• Which hubs or stations do those checks need to be slotted into? Options: Primary hub (name), Secondary hub (name), Regional stations, International line stations, Multiple hubs - will specify
• How firm are the tentative check dates today? Options: Firm — locked within 2 weeks, Moderately firm — flexible ±1 month, Flexible — ±3 months, Unscheduled / just planning
• Who typically leads vendor selection, who approves budget, and who signs final agreements on multi-year deals? Options: Director of Maintenance / Technical Ops, VP/SVP Technical Ops, COO, Procurement, Finance, Other — please specify

Are You Comfortable Betting the Fleet on 'Maybe'?

• When slot availability is uncertain, how often does that uncertainty force you to disrupt schedules or cancel revenue flying? Options: Almost always, Often, Occasionally, Rarely, Never
• Tell us about the last time a heavy-check overrun or a parts delay pulled an aircraft from service—what happened and how did it feel for operations?
• How would you describe your organization's appetite for AOG risk when choosing a provider? Options: Zero tolerance — must minimize AOG at all costs, Low — some risk acceptable with strong mitigations, Moderate — balanced trade-offs OK, High — cost is primary driver
• What are the top two operational consequences you face when a check runs late (select up to two)? Options: Lost revenue (flight cancellations), Passenger disruption/re-accommodation, Crew and duty hour complications, Network ripple and schedule recovery, Increased cost from wet-leasing / third-party fixes, Regulatory/slot penalties
• How long of a redelivery delay is tolerable before you consider the check a failure (e.g., hours/days)? Options: <12 hours, 12–24 hours, 1–3 days, 4–7 days, >7 days

Where Do Hidden Costs Live in Your Maintenance Plan?

• How confident are you that initial estimates capture the most likely discovery items during a C/D-check? Options: Very confident — usually accurate, Mostly accurate but occasional surprises, Often underestimate discovery work, Rarely accurate
• Who typically absorbs cost when unexpected findings add scope — airline, MRO, or shared negotiation? Options: Airline absorbs, MRO absorbs, Shared by negotiation, Depends on contract
• Which cost categories have surprised you most historically (select all that apply)? Options: Structural repairs, Engine shop findings, Landing gear overhauls, Late parts/expedited freight, Third-party vendor scope, Regulatory corrective actions
• Would a power-by-the-hour (PBH) model that transfers discovery risk off your balance sheet be something you’d consider? Options: Yes — strongly interested, Maybe — need details, Unlikely — prefer per-event, Not at all
• If PBH or guaranteed cost models are appealing, what contractual features matter most to you? Options: Clear scope & exclusions, On-time redelivery guarantees, Caps on liability, Transparent reporting and audits, Parts provisioning commitments

If Redelivery Could Be a Moment — What Would Perfect Feel Like?

• Imagine the ideal redelivery after a heavy check — what three things must be true for you to call it a success?
• Which KPIs do you care about most when judging a heavy-maintenance partner (pick up to three)? Options: On-time redelivery rate, Turnaround time (days), Quality/airworthiness passes, AOG days per year, Parts fill rate, Cost per flight hour
• What financial penalty structure, if any, would meaningfully change provider behavior for on-time delivery? Options: Daily liquidated damages, Milestone penalties, Service credits, Performance-based fee adjustments, Prefer operational remedies over penalties
• How important is guaranteed slot availability vs. lower price? (trade-off preference) Options: Always prioritize guaranteed slots, Prefer a balance — some guarantee, some price benefit, Prefer lowest cost even if slots are tight, Undecided
• Share an example of a partnership that really delivered on expectations — what did they do differently?

What’s Getting in the Way of Slotting and Parts Being There?

• If lack of slots or parts is your biggest blocker, why do you think it happens (internal planning, supplier chain, or capacity limits)? Options: Internal planning mismatch, Supplier lead times, MRO capacity constraints, Regulatory or customs delays, Other — please explain
• How do you currently provision parts for heavy checks? Options: We provide parts and logistics, MRO provides parts from stock, Consignment agreement, PBH/pooled rotables, Hybrid model
• What minimum parts fill-rate do you expect from a partner to feel comfortable (percent on-hand when needed)? Options: >95%, 90–95%, 80–90%, <80%
• Would you accept parts on consignment or do you require MRO-owned inventory for critical rotable items? Options: Prefer MRO-owned for critical items, Consignment acceptable, Mix of both, Open to proposal
• Describe any hub constraints (night curfews, slot windows, hangar access limits, special regulatory restrictions) we should expect.
• How quickly must a critical rotable be staged on-site from order to delivery to meet your tolerance? Options: <24 hours, 24–48 hours, 48–72 hours, >72 hours

Who Decides, and How Fast Can They Say Yes?

• If a commercial structure could be finalized tomorrow, who in your organization would need to sign off? Options: Director of Maintenance, VP/SVP Technical Ops, COO, Procurement, Finance, Legal
• What are your typical approval thresholds (e.g., dollar value or contract length) that trigger executive review? Options: <$250k, $250k–$1M, $1M–$5M, >$5M, Contract length >1 year
• How long does your procurement cycle usually take from proposal to signature for multi-year MRO agreements? Options: <1 month, 1–3 months, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, >12 months
• When governance is needed, what cadence do you prefer for review (monthly/quarterly/other)? Options: Monthly, Quarterly, Bi-annually, Annually, Ad-hoc as required
• What decision criteria would cause you to walk away from a proposal even if price and capacity looked acceptable? Options: Lack of certifications, Poor past performance/refs, Unacceptable risk allocation, Weak parts provisioning, Contractual inflexibility

How Will We Know This Partnership Is Working (the scoreboard)?

• Which three success signals would make you renew a multi-year heavy maintenance agreement?
• What reporting cadence and level of transparency do you expect (select all that apply)? Options: Weekly operational updates, Monthly KPI dashboard, Quarterly commercial reviews, Real-time parts & slot dashboard, Ad-hoc incident reports
• Which KPIs would trigger an immediate governance meeting (select up to three)? Options: On-time redelivery < target, AOG incidents > threshold, Parts fill-rate < threshold, Quality escapes/airworthiness issues, Cost variance exceeding X%
• Do you expect contractual remedies (penalties/service credits) or operational remedies (priority slots, extra resources) first when targets are missed? Options: Contractual remedies first, Operational remedies first, Combination, Depends on the issue
• How would you like escalation to be handled — single POC, tiered ops/exec escalation, or formal monthly QA review? Options: Single POC, Tiered ops → exec escalation, Formal monthly QA review, Hybrid approach

Risks You'd Rather Not Have to Own (let’s be explicit)

• Which risks would you prioritize transferring to an MRO partner (select all that apply)? Options: Turnaround time risk, AOG and on-grounding exposure, Parts obsolescence/sourcing, Compliance/regulatory risk, Quality/airworthiness escapes, Cost overrun risk
• For the risks you want transferred, what is your preferred contractual mechanism? Options: Firm fixed price, PBH / usage-based, Shared risk pools, Performance bonds, Service credits/penalties
• What is the single biggest consequence you want the provider to prevent (e.g., revenue loss, safety impact, reputational damage)? Options: Revenue loss, Safety/regulatory issues, Operational disruption, Customer/brand impact, Cost overruns
• If a catastrophic discovery occurred mid-check, how would you prefer contingency be handled (expedited parts, substitute aircraft, temporary lease)? Options: Expedited parts & repair, Substitution/leasing to cover capacity, Joint decision per event, Provider to fund immediate solution
• What maximum liability or insurance requirements should a partner carry to make you comfortable? Options: Standard industry limits, Enhanced coverage — specify in SOW, Provider to accept defined capped liability, Open to discussion

Practical Next Steps — Aligning Timelines and Expectations

• Given your planning horizon, when would you like a draft commercial proposal and sloting plan in hand? Options: Within 2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, 1–2 months, Longer — please specify
• What supporting materials should we include in the first proposal to speed internal approval (select all that apply)? Options: Detailed scope of work, Historical on-time performance stats, Parts inventory & lead-time matrix, Sample contract terms, Reference customers/case studies
• Who should be on the initial alignment call from your side (roles/emails preferred)?
• What would make you say 'yes' to moving from evaluation to a binding slot/reservation within the first engagement? Options: Competitive guaranteed TAT, Clear parts provisioning, Acceptable commercial terms, Executive-level commitment, Other — please specify
• Anything else we haven’t asked that would be critical for us to know before drafting a tailored proposal?

Quick Grounding: Where we start together

• When is the heavy-check window you’re planning to place with an external MRO? Options: Within 3 months, 3–6 months, 6–9 months, 9–12 months, 12–18 months, TBD
• Who on your team will own slot confirmation and who signs final deployment approval? Options: Director of Maintenance, VP Technical Operations, COO, Procurement Lead, Fleet Planner, Ops Control Manager, Other
• What is the internal approval timeline from slot agreement to aircraft delivery? Options: <1 month, 1–2 months, 2–3 months, 3–6 months, >6 months
• Do you have blackout periods or peak-season constraints we must avoid? Options: Yes — peak summer, Yes — peak holiday season, Yes — charter/seasonal commitments, No constraints, Other
• If you selected a constraint or 'Other', please describe the specific dates, operational drivers, and impact.

If a single day slips, who pays the price?

• How would a single-day turnaround overrun ripple through your network and revenue today?
• Which of your routes or aircraft types are most exposed to redelivery delays? Options: Short-haul narrow-body (high frequency), Long-haul wide-body, High-utilization freighters, Leased aircraft with return clauses, Special mission aircraft, Other
• How do you quantify the cost of an AOG or delay for your operations (what KPI or metric)? Options: Cost per day, Lost revenue per block hour, Crew repositioning & hotel costs, Passenger reaccommodation costs, Operational disruption index, Other
• Do you typically absorb overruns internally, rely on vendor penalties, or use insurance to recover costs? Tell us which and why. Options: Absorb internally, Recover via vendor penalty, File insurance claims, Mix of above, Other
• Share one recent overrun example: what caused it, who owned the fix, and what you learned.

Are your parts and rotable plans actually aligned to the calendar?

• If a critical rotable is unavailable on day-zero, what is your first 24‑hour fallback? Options: Local spare pool swap, Fly-in replacement, Cannibalize another aircraft, Lease or borrow, Defer non-critical tasks, Other
• Which part categories worry you most for this check window? Options: Engines/modules, Landing gear, APU, Avionics LRUs, Flight controls, Consumables/rotables, Other
• What is your target rotable buffer per critical part for aircraft booked into this window? Options: No buffer, 1 unit, 2–3 units, 4+ units, Variable by part
• Which provisioning model do you prefer for this engagement? Options: Provider-reserved inventory (MRO-owned), Airline-owned consignment, Power-by-the-hour (PBH), Hybrid (mix)
• Are there any customs, import/export, or contract restrictions that could delay parts movement? Please describe.

Are your technical records ready to move as fast as the aircraft?

• If we requested your full technical records package tomorrow, how ready would it be for transfer? Options: Ready and fully digitized, Complete but paper-based, Fragmented across systems, Missing key documents, Unknown
• Which MRO/M&E systems store your maintenance data today? Options: AMOS, TRAX, Ramco, Custom/Proprietary, Paper only, Other
• Are there open findings, SBs, or ADs tied to the scheduled work that could change scope or timing? Options: None, Minor findings only, Major/structural findings, Unknown — need audit
• List the critical documents we must receive at handover (e.g., logbooks, life-limited parts records, AD compliance certificates).
• How do you prefer the technical records validation to occur? Options: Digital audit (secure transfer), On-site handover and spot checks, Third-party notarization, Staged transfer during work

When something breaks mid-job, how fast do you want us to become your hero?

• In a worst-case discovery during heavy maintenance, what outcomes are acceptable versus deal-breakers for you?
• What is your AOG risk tolerance for this engagement? Options: Highest priority — guarantee redelivery at any cost, Moderate — balance cost and timing, Low — prioritize cost containment, Context-dependent by aircraft/route
• What penalty format do you find fair for missed redelivery or SLA breaches? Options: Flat fee per day, Per-hour charge, Percentage of contract value, Escalating milestone penalties, Other
• Would you accept pre-authorized change order thresholds to accelerate decisions? If yes, what limit is acceptable? Options: No pre-auth, < $10,000, $10k–$50k, $50k–$250k, > $250k
• Share an example of a vendor contingency that worked well (or failed) and why.

Who will actually run this day-to-day — and are they ready?

• If we handed execution to your nominated ops owner today, do they have authority and bandwidth to manage hangar coordination? Options: Yes — fully empowered, Partial authority — needs approvals, No — requires senior sign-off, Unsure
• Please name the operational contacts we should include (role and preferred contact method). Options: Director of Maintenance, Maintenance Planner, Ops Control Manager, Logistics Manager, Procurement Lead, Other
• What cadence of communication do you expect during deployment? Options: Daily stand-up, Twice weekly updates, Weekly summary, Milestone-driven, Ad-hoc emergency only
• What escalation path details must be documented (names, 24/7 numbers, SLA response times)?
• Do you require shared tools or portals for status (e.g., joint dashboard, live parts tracker)? If so, which capabilities matter most? Options: Live parts tracker, Work progress dashboard, Document repository, Escalation/incident log, Integrated chat/alerts, Other

If the plan goes sideways, do we have a real plan — not just hope?

• What single disruption do you see as most likely during deployment, and do you already have an effective mitigation? Options: Parts delay, Unexpected structural finding, Workforce shortage, Regulatory hold, Weather/logistics, Other
• Which contingency options would you pre-authorize if needed? Options: Aircraft swap/substitution, Weekend/extended shifts, AOG loaner aircraft, Fly-in parts service, Deferred non-critical work, Other
• Are there insurance, liability, or indemnity conditions we must meet before accepting the job? Options: Standard carrier insurance sufficient, Require additional insured, Higher liability limits required, Environmental/health clauses, TBD with legal
• Who has the authority to activate contingency measures and approve associated expenses? Options: Ops owner (named), Director of Maintenance, VP Technical Ops, COO, Procurement
• Walk us through one contingency scenario you want us to simulate now — what metrics and communications define success?

Final alignment: what does 'go' and 'done' look like?

• If this engagement goes perfectly, what three measurable outcomes would make you consider it an unequivocal success?
• Which SLA metrics will you use to judge performance? Options: On-time redelivery rate, Defect rate on return, Parts availability %, Cost variance vs estimate, Turnaround time adherence, Customer satisfaction score
• What handover artifacts are mandatory at close-out? Options: Final technical log and signatures, As-found/as-left discrepancy list, Parts certificates and traceability, NDT & repair reports, Deferred items register, Other
• Who must be present for final acceptance and which acceptance checkpoints will they verify? Options: Director of Maintenance, Maintenance Inspector (Regulatory), Operations Control, Customer Quality Rep, Other
• Would you like a structured post-deployment review? Choose timing and briefly state the primary objectives. Options: 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, No structured review

Opening: Your Fleet, Your Priorities

• Which aircraft types and approximate counts are you planning for heavy C/D-checks in the next 12–18 months? Options: A320ceo, A320neo, B737NG, B737MAX, A330, A350, B767, B777, MD-11/MD-10, Other (please specify)
• What is the single most important objective for outsourcing these heavy checks (pick one)? Options: Minimize days out of service, Reduce total maintenance cost, Shift risk off balance sheet (PBH), Access OEM-authorized capabilities, Increase maintenance throughput/slot certainty, Other
• Describe your current in-house heavy maintenance capacity and any shortfalls we should know about.
• How many aircraft (approx.) per year do you typically commit to external MROs today? Options: None, 1–5, 6–12, 13–25, 26+
• Who will be the primary operational contact for scheduling and execution if we move forward?

What If Waiting Costs You Seats?

• When a planned heavy-check slips, how quickly does that turn into an operational crisis for your network? Options: Within 24 hours, 48–72 hours, A week, Rarely becomes a crisis
• Which causes have driven your most painful overruns in the past (select all that apply)? Options: Unexpected structural findings, Engine/component lead-time delays, Dock/hangar slot constraints, Technical records issues, Supply-chain/rotable shortages, Labor availability, Other
• Tell us about one overrun that mattered—what happened, what escalated costs, and how long did recovery take?
• How long have these types of overruns been recurring for your fleet? Options: Less than a year, 1–3 years, 3–5 years, More than 5 years
• Which metric best captures the pain from overruns for you (choose one)? Options: Revenue loss per day, Passenger/customer disruption, Substitution/lease costs, Operational complexity, Reputational impact

Who's Holding the Keys — and the Budget?

• Where do deals typically stall in your organization—technical approval, commercial terms, or executive sign-off? Options: Technical approval, Commercial terms, Executive sign-off, Procurement, Other
• List the people who must approve or influence a multi-year heavy-maintenance agreement (roles or names). Options: Director of Maintenance, VP Technical Operations, COO, Procurement Lead, Head of Finance, Safety/Compliance Officer, Other
• What approval threshold (value or contract length) triggers executive committee review in your organization? Options: Any multi-year agreement, >$1M, >$5M, >$10M, Other (specify)
• How important is having guaranteed turnaround times with financial penalties in your decision—must-have, nice-to-have, or low priority? Options: Must-have, Nice-to-have, Low priority
• What commercial model do you prefer when shifting heavy-check risk—PBH, fixed-price per check, T&M with cap, or hybrid? Options: Power-by-the-hour (PBH), Fixed-price per check, Time & Materials with cap, Hybrid (PBH + performance SLAs), Undecided
• What procurement constraints or required contract clauses commonly derail negotiations at the final stage?

Where Do Your Slots and Hubs Actually Leak?

• How flexible are your preferred maintenance windows at each hub—can you shift aircraft by days, weeks, or not at all? Options: Highly flexible (weeks), Moderately flexible (days), Tightly constrained (hours/dates), Varies by hub
• Which hubs or stations are non-negotiable for maintenance due to network importance or crew logistics?
• What hub constraints have surprised you before (e.g., runway, gate, local regulations, curfews)?
• How much ferrying of aircraft between hubs are you willing to accept to secure a slot (none / short haul / long haul)? Options: None, Short haul only (<3 hours), Short or medium haul (3–6 hours), Any ferry distance is acceptable
• Describe one past instance where sloting or hub constraints forced an expensive workaround—what was the workaround and cost driver?
• Do regulatory or customer-specific KTs (e.g., cargo handling, special configs) create additional slot lead time for your fleet? Options: Yes, often, Sometimes, Rarely, No

Parts, Rotables, and the Heartbeat of Turnaround

• How confident are you that rotable availability—not labor or slots—is the single largest risk to on-time redelivery? Options: Very confident, Somewhat confident, Unsure, Not confident
• What is your current approach to rotable provisioning for heavy checks? Options: We stock most rotables in-house, Consignment with third-parties, Supplier-managed pools, We rely on MRO partners to provide rotables, Other
• Which components have historically driven the longest lead-time delays for your fleet (select all that apply)? Options: APU parts, Landing gear components, Flight controls, Hydraulics, Engine LRUs, Avionics line-replaceables, Other
• What average lead time for critical spares do you consider acceptable to meet your redelivery targets? Options: <48 hours, 48–168 hours, 1–3 weeks, 3+ weeks
• Would you consider a consignment/PBH mix where we hold critical rotables at our base for guaranteed availability? Options: Yes, preferred, Maybe—need details, No
• Estimate the operational cost (or impact) you assign to a single AOG day for a narrowbody and for a widebody.

What Keeps You Awake at 2 AM?

• If a guaranteed redelivery failed and you incurred a penalty, would you prefer a larger monetary penalty or faster remediation and flight recovery? Options: Monetary penalty, Faster remediation, Both equally, Depends on situation
• How tolerant is your leadership of scope creep or additional findings discovered during checks? Options: Very tolerant with flexible budget, Tolerant within set thresholds, Low tolerance—needs pre-approval, Not tolerated
• What percentage over initial estimate for time or cost would you accept before automatic escalation is required? Options: 5–10%, 11–20%, 21–30%, 30%+
• Which quality standards and audits must our facilities meet for you to consider them (select all that apply)? Options: OEM authorization, FAA/EASA certification, Internal airline audit, Third-party audit (e.g., Nadcap), Other
• How do AOG events affect you emotionally and operationally—what stressors escalate internally?
• Have you previously accepted a remediation or 'workaround' that later created recurrent issues? Tell us what happened.

If It Worked Perfectly, What Would You Stop Worrying About?

• Imagine handing us your next heavy-check program—what would you most want us to remove from your inbox and mind?
• Which SLA/KPI would make you feel genuinely confident that the program is succeeding (select up to three)? Options: On-time redelivery %, Turnaround time adherence, AOG mean-time-to-repair, First-pass quality rate, Parts fill-rate, Cost-per-flight-hour
• How frequently would you want operational updates during a check (choose one)? Options: Daily, Every other day, Twice weekly, Weekly, Event-driven only
• What does an acceptable post-check handover look like—what documents, tests, and sign-offs matter most?
• Which governance cadence would give you comfort post-deployment (select one)? Options: Weekly operational calls, Bi-weekly during program ramp, Monthly executive reviews, Quarterly business review

Readiness and Next Steps — Can We Make This Real?

• What's the single biggest barrier that would stop you from selecting an external MRO partner today? Options: Cost, Trust/quality concerns, Slot availability, Internal politics, Contracting complexity, Other
• Would you be open to a pilot: one or two aircraft to validate our processes before a full multi-year commitment? Options: Yes—one aircraft, Yes—two aircraft, No, need full commitment, Maybe, need more detail
• Which documents do you require before operational sign-off (e.g., maintenance plan, risk register, parts list, insurance certificates)?
• Realistically, what is your internal timeline to reach a decision for a 12–36 month agreement? Options: <1 month, 1–3 months, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, Undecided
• Who else in your organization should receive our detailed proposal or attend a technical walkthrough? Options: Director of Maintenance, VP Technical Ops, COO, Procurement, Finance, Safety/Compliance, Other
• What would you need to see in our first proposal to feel comfortable scheduling a site visit or pilot (key must-haves)?