Cost and Benefit of SHM in Commercial Aviation

Abstract

An integrated techno-economic cost-benefit analysis is presented to analyze the impact of damage detection-based SHM on an Airbus A320-based reference aircraft, instrumented with ultrasonic and fiber-optic sensors. The operational performance of aircraft with and without SHM is compared in terms of inspection effort, dispatch reliability, payload capacity, service limit, SHM equipment weight and performance, as well as total operating cost. Finally, the net present value of SHM is calculated. While SHM can be profitable for airlines, the achievable benefit depends on the SHM system performance and the economic environment of the airline.