Case Study: How Condor maximized Trent engine life with QOCO Aviadex

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Condor, Germany's leading leisure airline, partnered with QOCO Systems to implement Aviadex for seamless data exchange between their AMOS maintenance system and Rolls-Royce. This integration enables automated engine data transfer that supports the standard duty cycle method of managing engine life, potentially extending time on wing by up to 50% for their new Trent 7000 engines.

Industry: Airline
Location: Germany (Frankfurt and Dusseldorf)
Size: Fleet of more than 50 aircraft, flying 9 million guests annually to 90 destinations
QOCO Solution: Aviadex

CLIENT PROFILE

Condor has been flying guests to their holiday destinations for more than 66 years, operating from the nine largest airports in Germany, as well as from Zurich in Switzerland and Vienna in Austria. The fleet of more than fifty aircraft is maintained by their own engineering business, Condor Technik, at the Frankfurt and Dusseldorf locations. At the end of 2022, Condor, as the German launch customer, took delivery of the first new Airbus A330neo long-haul aircraft, with an average of one new aircraft arriving monthly until 2024.

Additionally, Condor has orders placed for forty-one short and medium-haul aircraft of the Airbus A32Xneo family, with delivery commencing in 2024. The airline already had a relationship with Rolls-Royce through their A330ceo fleet using previous generations of Trent engines.

"When Condor ordered the A330neos with the latest Trent 7000 engine from Rolls-Royce, the OEM introduced QOCO to Condor as Rolls-Royce's software partner in facilitating the data transfer necessary to support the engine with the standard duty cycle method of managing engine life." — Nicolas Schneider, AMOS Administrator at Condor

THE CHALLENGE

Condor faced significant challenges with their legacy approach to engine data management when they acquired new Airbus A330neo aircraft with Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines. These advanced engines required a more sophisticated data exchange process than their previous fleet.

Key Challenges:

• Manual Data Transfer Process: Previously, Condor relied on email and manually generated PDFs from their AMOS MRO system to send data to engine OEMs.
• Time-Consuming Workflows: The manual process required significant manpower, creating a substantial workload that would be unsustainable with the data volume generated by the new Trent 7000 engines.
• Delays in Data Delivery: Without automation, data transfers were subject to delays, impacting timely analysis and decision-making.
• Risk of Human Error: Manual intervention in the data transfer process introduced the potential for errors in critical engine performance data.
• Limited Engine Life Optimization: Without real-time data analysis, Condor couldn't fully leverage the standard duty cycle method that could extend engine time on wing.
  
  

THE SOLUTION

QOCO Systems provided Condor with Aviadex, a specialized data exchange solution that enables automated data flows from the airline to Rolls-Royce, allowing for comprehensive engine condition analysis and optimized maintenance planning.

Solution Components:

• Automated Data Exchange Platform: A well-designed, out-of-the-box interface that seamlessly transmits data from Condor to Rolls-Royce on a daily basis.
• AMOS Integration: Purpose-built connectors that interface with Condor's existing AMOS maintenance management system without requiring development work.
• Secure Data Transfer Protocol: Implementation of SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol) that meets Condor's specific IT requirements and security standards.
• Standard Duty Cycle Implementation: Technical framework to support the transition from daily cycles to standard duty cycles based on actual engine wear.
  
  

Implementation Approach:

• Discovery & Planning: QOCO worked directly with Condor to explain the solution and value proposition, with implementation already part of the Rolls-Royce engagement from the start.
• Configuration & Integration: Rather than requiring custom development, QOCO configured their existing plug-ins for AMOS, providing detailed instructions on how Condor's system should be configured.
• System Architecture Review: QOCO helped Condor check their system architecture and adapt the integration to meet their specific IT requirements.
• Data Collection Initiation: The solution was implemented to begin collecting data from the very first flight, ensuring all historical data would be available once regulatory approval was granted.
  
  

"We have found QOCO to be a very professional partner in the integration of Condor's systems with a supplier such as Rolls-Royce." — Dr. Almut Von Schneidemesser, Senior Manager for Aircraft Communications IT at Condor

THE RESULTS

Since mid-May 2023, Condor has been using the QOCO solution to send data to Rolls-Royce every day in a fully automated way. While the full implementation of the standard duty cycle method awaits regulatory approval, the foundation for significant benefits has been established.

Key Results:

• 100% Automation of engine data transfer process, eliminating manual PDF generation and email-based workflows
• Potential 50% Increase in time on wing for Trent engines, depending on how the engines are used
• Complete Data History preserved from the first flight, enabling retroactive analysis once approval is granted
• Elimination of Data Delays through daily automated transfers
• Reduced Risk of Errors by removing manual data entry from the process

Additional Benefits:

• Future-Proofed Operations: The solution will ultimately change how Condor counts engine cycles, moving from time-limited cycles to standard duty cycles based on actual engine wear
• Financial Savings: The ability to keep engines on wing longer represents a significant financial benefit for Condor
• Enhanced Maintenance Planning: Automatic modification of cycles to standard duty cycles in the AMOS system will improve maintenance forecasting

CLIENT TESTIMONIAL

"We will then receive an evaluation of engine condition from Rolls-Royce that automatically modifies the cycles to standard duty cycles in our AMOS system on a daily basis." — Nicolas Schneider, AMOS Administrator at Condor

FUTURE PLANS

When regulatory approval is granted, Condor will switch from daily cycles to standard duty cycles. They will receive evaluations of engine condition from Rolls-Royce, which will automatically modify the cycles in their AMOS system. This will enable more precise tracking of engine wear beyond simple takeoff and touchdown counts, allowing engines to stay on wing longer when actual wear is less than what traditional cycle counting would indicate.

All flights from the past will be re-evaluated with the new standard duty cycle method once approval is granted, maximizing the benefit of having collected data from the very first flight with the QOCO solution.

ABOUT QOCO SYSTEMS

QOCO Systems helps MROs, Airlines and OEMs in futureproofing their operations with innovative SaaS solutions:

• MROTools for streamlined tool management in aircraft maintenance
• Assignment for AI-powered workforce allocation
• Aviadex for intelligent data exchange between collaborating parties in the aviation industry
  
  

To read the full article co-written by Condor and QOCO, visit here. Dive deeper into how Condor and QOCO’s partnership is transforming engine data management and optimizing the operational life of Trent engines.