Date of Award

3-14-2014

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Department

Department of Operational Sciences

First Advisor

Alan W. Johnson, PhD.

Abstract

The Air Force projects receiving new KC-46 aircraft in 2016 and headquarters is directing organic maintenance. Oklahoma City ALC is the depot projected to provide this support and plans to have aircraft onsite in 2018. However, maintenance requirements are currently unknown. Therefore, this research seeks to identify the requirements necessary to activate operations with a scope in workforce planning. The KC-46 is a B-767 derivative aircraft and planners are applying a commercial based program, MSG-3, which directs C-check series maintenance. This program is followed by organizations across industry who operate B-767s and the researcher seeks to find out what is involved by observing their practices. The research is case study based and encompasses responses from maintenance experts in eight organizations. Four are third-party MROs, three are airline MROs and the remaining organization is the KC-135 maintenance program from Oklahoma City ALC. Organization representatives are interviewed with intent to discover more about their workforce requirements, and responses are analyzed to formulate recommendations for KC-46 maintenance planners. Recommendations identify a per aircraft quantity of personnel required to initiate maintenance, a workforce expansion timeline, required workforce skill groups, a supervisor to technician ratio, a workforce model, and workforce training requirements.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-ENS-14-M-12

DTIC Accession Number

ADA598621

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