Supporting aircraft operations around the world with AIRTAC

Many of us have experienced the inconvenience of a flight delay or cancellation. These ‘aircraft on ground’ (AOG) events have many different causes – ranging from weather conditions to technical issues – but they all have one thing in common: they disrupt airline schedules and inconvenience passengers. But did you know that Airbus teams work around the clock every day to get you out of the airport and on your way again?

In 2024, the in-service fleet of Airbus commercial aircraft transported over two billion passengers. That’s over six million passengers every day. Somewhere in the world, an Airbus takes off or lands every second. But Airbus doesn’t only build aircraft: it supports their operators along the entire aircraft lifecycle. This means that whenever an Airbus aircraft is grounded for technical reasons anywhere in the world, our experts are on hand to quickly resolve the situation. 

Airbus’ technical support specialists handle several hundred aircraft groundings, known as AOGs, every month. These are a part of aircraft operations and range from minor system errors to complex structural repairs. But just because they are normal does not mean they are not disruptive. To resolve them as quickly as possible, Airbus has developed a global network of Customer Care Centres that bring together all the different departments that look after the active fleets of Airbus customers.

Future proofing operational service capabilities

The Customer Care Centres located in Toulouse, France; Beijing, China; and Mirabel, Canada, house Airbus Technical Aircraft-on-Ground Centres (AIRTAC). AIRTAC is Airbus’ support front line, receiving and treating all AOG requests. AIRTAC is a 24/7 service, and there is never a shortage of AOGs for them to resolve: in 2024, Airbus Services supported 12,000 in-service Airbus aircraft worldwide. 

The in-service fleet is growing worldwide. In 2048, Airbus predicts that the worldwide fleet (all aircraft) will rise to 48,000.

Supporting that growth is increasingly complex. More aircraft require more skilled maintenance personnel, greater repair and overhaul capacity, more pilots and cabin crew, and more facilities to train them. In short, services are instrumental in enabling air traffic growth. And downtime is costly.

As the global Airbus fleet grows, the number of potential disruptions will inevitably rise too. Airbus is also leveraging digital means to avoid unplanned disruptions. Airbus is thus investing heavily in its Customer Care Centres to ensure that customers are supported as they expand their fleets. The AIRTAC room at the new Customer Care Centre in Toulouse can accommodate double the number of current responders in preparation for this future growth.

Going above and beyond to support customers

Every hour, AIRTAC receives several support requests from around the world. While their immediate goal is to resolve any issue as quickly as possible for customers, they also aim to learn from each AOG event in order to reduce the risk of re-occurrence in the future. This takes place on both sides: Airbus can, for example, create a software patch to resolve an issue that will help all customers. But the Company also seeks to help airlines become more autonomous in treating issues by providing feedback whenever possible about the cause of an AOG and its solution. This permits the airline to sometimes resolve future issues directly, increasing efficiency and saving time. 

Airbus has an industry-leading response time to AOG events, which is due in part to the network of Customer Care Specialists spread around the world. Some of them are stationed near or at airports and serve as the boots on the ground for the AIRTAC headquarters. Known in the industry as Field Service Representatives, they are assigned to a specific airline and fully integrated into the airline’s operations. Their onsite presence leads to issues being resolved more quickly, ensuring that passengers get back on their way.

This integrated approach is unique to Airbus among major aircraft manufacturers and is highly valued by airline customers. So the next time you step onto an Airbus plane, know that our AIRTAC experts are always at work behind the scenes to keep you safe and get you to your destination as fast as possible.