Korean Air, Airbus partner on predictive maintenance

Korean Air’s head of predictive maintenance Oh Jong-hoon (left) and Airbus’ head of digital services business Fabrice Villaume sign a partnership agreement in London on Thursday. (Korean Air)

Korean Air on Thursday signed an agreement with Airbus to adopt Skywise Fleet Performance+, the European manufacturer’s data-driven aircraft predictive maintenance system.

Airbus, which supplies more than 9,000 aircraft to over 100 airlines worldwide, integrates sensors, maintenance, flight schedules and passenger booking data through its Skywise data hub to predict component failures and optimize supply chain management.

The latest S.FP+ combines the functions of the existing Skywise Predictive Maintenance+ and Skywise Health Monitoring, which Korean Air introduced in February 2024.

Focusing on predictive action rather than reactive response, S.FP+ detects potential defects or component failures before they occur. Compared to previous versions, it is designed to maximize aircraft availability and operational reliability.

By leveraging advanced data collection and predictive modeling, the system improves abnormal operation detection rates and reduces aircraft-on-ground incidents, helping airlines cut maintenance costs and enhance operational efficiency, Korean Air explained.

The system will be applied to Korean Air’s A321neo, A330, A350 and A380 fleets, and will later be extended to Asiana Airlines’ fleet following the integration of the two carriers.

“This partnership will pave the way to integrate the Asiana fleet and maintain the highest levels of operational reliability and efficiency on a larger scale,” said Oh Jong-hoon, head of predictive maintenance at Korean Air.