Maintenance Economics of Widebody Aircraft: Comparative Cost and Reliability Analysis of the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350

Abstract

Next-generation wide-body aircraft, such as the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350, incorporate advanced composite structures and predictive maintenance systems; however, limited research has examined how these innovations affect maintenance costs and reliability throughout the aircraft lifecycle. This study employs a mixed-methods comparative approach, combining published cost and reliability data from ICAO, IATA, FAA, EASA, and airline reports with insights from six semi-structured interviews with maintenance professionals in the Philippines. The quantitative analysis focused on the Maintenance Cost Index (MCI), Cost per Flight Hour (CPFH), and Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), applying a cost–reliability benchmarking equation adapted from established maintenance economics models. Qualitative data were thematically analysed using NVivo 14 to capture practitioners’ perspectives on repair complexity, maintenance procedures, and predictive system utilisation. The findings show that the Airbus A350 achieves a lower CPFH, higher dispatch reliability, and shorter repair times, which are attributed to its modular Glass Laminate Aluminium Reinforced Epoxy (GLARE) design and Skywise predictive platform. In contrast, the Boeing 787 exhibits greater maintenance complexity and higher costs owing to its monolithic carbon fibre structure and specialised repair requirements. This study introduces a novel cost–reliability synthesis framework, offering context-specific insights for fleet planning, MRO procurement, and technician training, while outlining future research directions using primary operator data sets and AI-driven predictive maintenance models.