Engineering and maintenance

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About

Qantas' Engineering and Maintenance experience dates back to when the airline first commenced operations in 1920. Since then, we've gained nearly as many years experience in contract work. The Engineering and Maintenance branch employs some 3,300 personnel (from a total airline staff of about 30,000).

From our humble beginnings in the Australian outback, we've succeeded in establishing a reputation as one of the world's most efficient airlines.

Engineering support

With the experience gained in maintaining our own fleet of over 200 aircraft, we can respond to customer airline requirements with flexibility and an understanding of operator's concerns and constraints.

Qantas is at the leading edge of technological development, constantly improving our products, processes and systems. Our focus on continuous improvement, world's best practice, and striving to become the most cost efficient operation in the airline industry, benefits operators utilising Qantas' engineering services.

Aircraft operators seeking quality service at a competitive price should contactOpens in a new tab or window Qantas for Engineering Support.

Line and Base Maintenance

Qantas Engineering Support is available at all Australian international and domestic terminals and at some overseas ports.

Comprehensive engineering services are provided 24 hours per day by some of the most highly experienced and qualified engineers available in Civil Aviation. Transit Check inspections, as per individual Maintenance requirements, can be accomplished efficiently and confidently by our highly motivated engineering crews. Our engineers are qualified in a broad range of aircraft including A380, A330, B747 and B737.

Sophisticated ground support equipment and specialist vehicles ensure that your services achieve reliable on-time departures. Qantas Technical support is never far away, whether it is fault diagnosis and troubleshooting, AOG spares support or pooling arrangements, Qantas Engineering Line Maintenance will provide world class assistance to avoid or minimise service disruptions to operators experiencing technical difficulties.

All Qantas Line Maintenance Stations can communicate with inbound aircraft for advice on incoming defects, facilitating the preparation of appropriate resources to preclude unscheduled extended ground time.

For operators with extended stopovers (subject to location), Qantas Line Maintenance can perform Supplementary or Minor Maintenance inspections up to A Checks - optimising the aircraft's down time. For Base Maintenance we can provide dedicated support for A330 and B737 aircraft fleet types located in our Brisbane Base maintenance facilities. From AOG support, modification programs, support shops and 'letter' checks in two multi-bay state of the art hangars. Base Maintenance holds both CASA and FAA Base maintenance approvals to be able to provide a wide variety of services to both Australian and overseas airlines.

Line and base maintenance capabilities

Qantas Engineering is able to provide complete maintenance and overhaul services for a wide range of different aircraft types. These are performed in maintenance facilities in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

Component maintenance

The Qantas Component Maintenance Services (CMS) workshops provide a complete maintenance solution for:

  • Aircraft Wheels and Brakes,
  • Aircraft Slides and Rafts,
  • Aircraft Batteries,
  • ULDs (Cargo Universal Load Devices),
  • Galley Products (Ovens, Galley Carts, Chillers, Coffee Makers and more),
  • Water Waste Systems,
  • Thrust Reversers and Nose Cowl Composite Repairs,
  • Process Workshops including Machining, Welding, Shot Peening,
  • Non Destructive Testing,
  • Electro Plating, and
  • Signcraft.

Qantas CMS have highly skilled and experienced technicians who provide superior quality and cost effective component overhauls. We provide on-site engineering support, AOG event assistance and can customised programs to meet your schedule and budget.

Experience gained with the Qantas fleet ensures preventative maintenance concepts are applied to customer components, providing optimised component performance and cost savings.

The components are monitored throughout the workshop by a computerised tracking system to ensure competitive turn times are maintained. All work is available with CASA certification - EASA and FAA certification is available on select products.

Our dedicated team is committed to being a competitive, timely and a highly productive provider of component maintenance through customer focused delivery.

Wheels and brakes

CMS has built a state of the art Wheels and Brakes facility with all process steps optimised to provide the highest quality product at the lowest possible labour requirement. The facility was a finalist in the 2014 Victorian Worksafe Awards.

Evacuation systems

Qantas Engineering has a modern Evacuation Systems maintenance facility in Melbourne. The facility is fully operational for A380, A330, B747, B767 and B737 slide maintenance.

Aircraft batteries

Our Aircraft Battery Shop is located in Melbourne and has extensive capabilities within the modern maintenance and overhaul facilities. Services can be as simple as recharge to complete battery overhaul, including trickle charging services.

ULD services

Our ULD facility provides a complete repair service for ULDs. Qantas ULD services have facilities in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane with the capability to do repairs on the following ULD types:

  • AAA
  • AAF
  • AAK
  • AAP
  • AAU
  • AAX
  • ABB
  • AEP
  • AKE
  • AKH
  • ALF
  • AMF
  • AMP
  • DQF
   

Inflight galley services

Our Galley Services team provides a complete overhaul and maintenance solution for galley carts (supporting Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth), coffee makers, water boilers and chillers.

Our Melbourne facility has trained and certified staff across a range of inflight galley products and can provide CASA, EASA and/or FAA certification where required.

Signcraft

The Qantas Signcraft team provides a complete solution for the manufacture, supply and installation of graphical markings. Building on over 20 years' experience in the aviation industry, we ensure our customers achieve maximum visual impact and bring imaginative concepts to life.

With significant training in sign writing and graphic design, our team is an experienced world leader in aircraft graphic, decal and livery applications and have produced successful installations for major events and partnership promotions. Including the ability to manufacture, apply and remove aircraft markings, our service offerings extend to the following:

  • aircraft markings for the purpose of maintenance, safety or commercial communication,
  • business applications including front of shop displays, safety signage and visual management aids in both office and industrial environments,
  • interior and external aviation and vehicle placards,
  • utilising the latest high quality printers and plotters, our dedicated team can tailor a solution to meet your requirements, and
  • flexible and responsive customer focus that provides in situ applications, domestic or international, to ensure minimum aircraft downtime or impact on your business.
Qantas A380 in maintenance hangar

Engine and Support operations

Utilising a highly skilled and OEM trained workforce, the Engine Support group located in Sydney provides both on and off-wing engine services for the following engine and APU types:

  • Rolls Royce T900 and RB211-524 series engines,
  • General Electric CF6-80C2 and 80E1 engines,
  • CFM56 -3 and -7 engines,
  • APU models GTCP331-200 and 350, GTCP131-9B, GTCP-129K, PW901A and 980, and
  • complete QEC and DQEC capabilities including off wing inhibit services minimising engine change timeframes.

Other specialised services include:

  • engine gearbox replacement for T900 and RB211 engines,
  • heavy maintenance inspection of removed QEC parts,
  • fan case attrition lining repairs or replacement for T900 / RB211 and CF6-80C2 engines,
  • engine boroscope including video,
  • repair of engine sheet metal parts including exhaust cases,
  • off shore AOG engine recovery, and
  • engine and APU ground and air handling services.

Aircraft Support

Aircraft workshops offer an extensive range of structural repairs from composite/carbon fibre to sheet-metal including:

  • basic sheet-metal repairs to complex repairs,
  • incorporation of modifications,
  • composite and carbon fibre,
  • fitting and machining,
  • welding services,
  • hoses and tubes manufacturing,
  • paint and surface restoration, and
  • AOG support for both sheet metal and composite repairs.
Qantas Aircraft engine

Material Logistics and Systems

Utilising our computerised modelling techniques, Qantas can recommend main base spares holdings for the introduction of new aircraft types, with protection levels tailored to the investment and operational needs required by the customer.

Material sourcing

Qantas also has Materials Management and Logistics expertise and, together with overseas purchasing offices in Europe and North America, will ensure that customer material sourcing requirements will be met with vendors of a very high quality standard.

Inventory Availability

With an extensive range of aircraft inventory available to support maintenance and overhaul programs for a wide range of customer engineering requirements, coverage can be adequately provided for the following aircraft and engine types:

Aircraft Engines
  • B747-400
  • RB211-524 Series & Trent
  • B767-300/300F
  • CF6-50/80C2 & E1
  • B737-300F/400/800
  • CFM56-3 Series
  • A330-200/300
  • Garrett 85/331/660/700 APU's 
  • A380
  • PWA 901 APU

Warranty administration and implementation of warranty procedures and systems

Subject to assignment approval, we can offer comprehensive warranty support services to all third-party customers. Services include:

  • claim administration,
  • material repair and credit recovery,
  • service bulletin claim and cost analysis,
  • vendor interface issues,
  • warranty training/familiarisation,
  • administration of performance guarantees, and
  • arranging in house assignment approval etc.

Our warranty expertise is validated by years of experience servicing the domestic and international airline operations and a range of customer networks.

Technical Support Services

Providing specialised engineering support in all disciplines of Aircraft engineering - structural, systems, electrical, avionics, and performance specialists provide excellent technical expertise for maintenance operations on Qantas and customer aircraft, engines and components.

Qantas Engineering also provides a 24 Hour Maintenance Watch service for Qantas and customer aircraft operational support.

Services provided by this group include:

  • Condition Monitoring and Reliability of Engines, Airframes and Components.
  • Evaluation of Vendor Service Data and Bulletins.
  • Development and evaluation of Maintenance.
  • Programmes for Aircraft, Engines and Components.
  • Evaluation and stress analysis for Aircraft modifications and repairs.
  • Development of repair schemes to restore integrity to worn and damaged parts.
  • Interior design and cabin refurbishment/reconfiguration.
  • Aging Aircraft and Corrosion Control and Prevention Programme inspections.
  • Technical evaluation of Aircraft, performance and payloads.
  • Technical Records and Technical Data Acquisition.

Engineering Training

The high quality of engineering personnel available to maintain Qantas and customer aircraft, engines and components is the direct result of the priority we give to all aspects of training.

We share our technical and management expertise with partner airlines and other operators throughout the world. This is achieved principally by the continuous training of apprentices, tradesmen, licenced engineers and instructors in Australia or at the customer's home base.

Qantas Technical Training offers a comprehensive range of classroom and on the job training programs relevant to industry developments and specific customer needs. Flexible, comprehensive training, as well as modular packages are available and can be tailored to meet specific customer requirements.

Quality training facilitates quality work and increased maintenance productivity.

Qantas Engineering Training encompasses two broad categories:

  • Type Training, and
  • Non-Type Training.

Type Training

Courses with CASA Part 66 licence outcome include:

  • Airbus A330 A, B1 and B2,
  • Airbus A380 B1 and B2,
  • Boeing B737-200/300/400 A, B1 and B2,
  • Boeing B747-200/300/400 B1 and B2,
  • CFM 56-3C1/3C2,
  • General Electric CF6-80C2, and
  • Rolls Royce RB211-524D/524G.

Methods include:

  • classroom based theory,
  • on the job training (OJT),
  • practical consolidated training (PCT),
  • practical on course (POC), and
  • recognised prior learning (RPL).

Non-Type Training

  • Borescope
  • Confined Space
  • Certifier induction
  • Engine ground run
  • General Familiarisation
    - Airbus A330
    - Airbus A380
    - Boeing B737
    - Boeing B747
  • Ground handling
  • Overhead crane
  • Refuelling
  • Walking forklift
Qantas A380 on the tarmac