Why is it important to conduct a bridging check?

Bringing a new-to-you aircraft into your fleet means bridging its maintenance program to yours. Here's what a bridging check covers and how to avoid costly surprises.

You have recently acquired an aircraft that is new to your organisation, and it follows a different maintenance schedule. It is crucial to understand the aircraft's configuration and the status of its maintenance program, which may differ significantly from the program under which your existing fleet is certified. Closing that gap, safely and on paper, is the job of a bridging check.

What a bridging check actually is

A bridging check (or bridging maintenance) is the structured process of comparing the aircraft's current maintenance program against the one you will operate it under, identifying every difference in tasks, intervals, modifications and life-limited-part status, and building a work package that brings the aircraft onto your program without any lapse in airworthiness. It is not a single inspection; it is a reconciliation of two maintenance philosophies, and it is the new operator's legal responsibility to get it right.

Start with a preliminary airworthiness review to ensure the continuing-airworthiness records are fully compliant, particularly regarding the certification status of any repairs. Understand the lease conditions too, including lease-return requirements: it can be harsh for a lessee to discover they must return the aircraft with brand-new engines at the end of a five-year lease. There is no substitute for thoroughly reading the fine print.

Key items to investigate

• MRB / MPD revision status: Ensure the maintenance program aligns with the current Maintenance Planning Document.
• Utilisation of the aircraft: Review current flight hours, cycles and landings compared with the rest of the fleet.
• Status of Life Limited Parts (LLPs): Some parts that are LLP for you may be considered Outside Control (OC) for others, potentially leading to mandatory and costly component changes.
• Comparison of maintenance programs: Conduct a detailed comparison of the differences between the previous and new maintenance programs, including any discrepancies in checks or tasks.
• Engine condition assessment: Before Aircraft Bridging Maintenance, assess engine condition. A borescope inspection is essential when taking responsibility for a second-hand aircraft.
• Airworthiness Directive (AD) status: Check the status of applicable ADs, including those affecting specific components.
• Status of Service Bulletins (SBs): Review incorporated SBs, Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) and modifications.
• Jurisdiction requirements: Determine whether the aircraft is subject to requirements only applicable within the operator's jurisdiction.
• Aging Airplane Program status: Confirm compliance with standalone Corrosion Prevention & Control tasks (CPCP) and Structural Significant Items (SSI).
• MSG-3 vs MSG-2: Confirm whether the aircraft is on an MSG-3 program. Some older aircraft still operate under MSG-2, which can mean significant differences in the maintenance program.
• ETOPS configuration: A leased aircraft configured for Extended Twin Operations (ETOPS) may need to be returned in that configuration, even if you are not an ETOPS operator.

The cost of skipping it

Operators who rush an aircraft into service without a proper bridge tend to pay for it later, and at a worse time. The common outcomes are a grounded aircraft when a missed task or AD surfaces during a line check, mandatory and unbudgeted component changes when an LLP that was "on condition" for the previous operator is life-limited on your program, and findings during the first heavy check that should have been caught, and priced, during due diligence. Done properly before entry into service, the bridge converts those surprises into a known, scheduled work package. This is closely tied to pre-purchase due diligence: the cleaner your records review before you buy, the smaller the bridge.

The obligation for Aircraft Bridging Maintenance lies with the new owner or operator, who must ensure the new maintenance program complies with all requirements.

Once we fully understand the requirements, we can develop a work package for the bridging check that weighs different options for executing the required program, balancing downtime, cost and the timing of your other scheduled checks. At Danan Aviation Consulting, we help airlines choose, integrate and maintain aircraft that fit their specific needs.