If someone were to conjure up an extreme image regarding the future of AI in business aviation maintenance, a great quote from the original (and best!) Blade Runner movie might immediately come to mind:
“Replicants are like any other machine – they’re either a benefit or a hazard. If they’re a benefit, it’s not my problem.” — Rick Deckard, Bounty Hunter
So, will “replicants” one day be fixing aircraft if Elon & Company keep pushing the boundaries of robotics and the maintenance technician shortage continues to worsen? Per Mr. Deckard’s logic, so long as the tech is solid and the work is being performed as good or better than current standards, then all should be copacetic.
Moving on from pure science fiction, this final installment will explore the future of AI in business aviation maintenance that is predicted to take shape in the next few years.
As previously noted, business aviation has increasingly become more reliant on digital tools to manage aircraft records, track compliance and keep aircraft airworthy. But as Dave Yuan outlined in The Race to Become the System of Action, software is entering a new era: moving from systems of record—which simply store and organize information—into systems of action, where AI takes on the work itself.
For aircraft maintenance teams, this shift is more than incremental. It has game-changing potential to transform how Directors of Maintenance, Technicians, Mx Controllers and QA keep their fleets safe and ready. Let’s dive in!
Maintenance tracking systems and the related digital aircraft records platforms (like Bluetail) have historically focused on helping aircraft operators run the maintenance department. They collectively manage historical records, ensure regulatory compliance, track inspections and manage parts inventories. But the actual work, like diagnosing discrepancies, creating work orders or QA’ing a huge pile of records after a major inspection – still falls to humans. A system of action could radically change that.
With the Vangelis soundtrack from Blade Runner playing its haunting music in the background, it’s now time to imagine this scenario:
Prior to the major inspection taking place, AI helps predict the timing, scope and cost of the event and which MRO is best suited to perform the work. In addition to helping track work progress at the repair facility, compliance agents then execute documentation QA reviews along with the return to service (RTS) workflow. It’s entirely possible that these same agents could also handle things like MEL deferrals and inspection sign-offs. Of course, to help keep the “Mr Deckards” of the world in check, the DOM and their team would be monitoring the entire process and executing all final sign-offs.
It’s noteworthy that a new agentic AI system just helped do the actual work. Contrary to popular opinion (admittedly, AI hype is out of control), this new tech actually improved safety and compliance with the related productivity gains being substantial.
Business aviation maintenance application vendors, with dominant players like Bluetail leading the charge, are investing millions to make AI a practical reality, with some capabilities only a few quarters away. Bluetail, which began as a records platform and digitization service, has since evolved into a trusted “system of record” where operators are moving away from paper entirely. The natural next step in its roadmap is an AI-assisted “system of action,” giving maintenance teams tools that streamline decisions and workflows. Many other Mx application vendors are also making great progress to accelerate AI innovation.
A key question still remains. Is the industry ready for such a huge paradigm shift? To help answer this question, many solution providers including Bluetail have been spending lots of time speaking with their “Hero users” the scarce, high-impact professionals, referenced in Dave Yuan’s article, who hold real influence in tool adoption. In business aviation maintenance, Hero users are:
Directors of Maintenance (DOMs): Tasked with balancing compliance, budgets, and most importantly, aircraft availability, they’re constantly firefighting. A system that reduces paperwork and increases foresight could be invaluable to them.
Maintenance Technicians: In addition to their primary role as “wrench turners”, they’re often burdened with repetitive entries, Mx manual references and chasing parts availability. AI could remove some of the drudgery thus making their work more efficient and satisfying.
Quality & Compliance Managers: These are the folks responsible for quality assurance, record integrity and any number of related audits. AI copilots that auto-audit records or pre-populate forms could transform their efficiency.
Records Analysts: They ensure that all aircraft logbooks, related records and other requisite documents to support airworthiness are complete, accurate, and compliant with FAA and international standards. Since their “currency” is often paper, AI could help these folks well beyond simple document organization and retrieval.
So, what was the consensus across all of these different constituencies with respect to AI adoption, product acceleration, etc.? Surprisingly enough, the bulk of these folks overwhelmingly supported the new AI paradigm subject to the proper oversight and guardrails. Whether these folks knew it or not, they were advocating for more product-led growth (PLG) as a go-to-market strategy where the product itself delivers enough value that users naturally adopt and advocate for it.
Preparing BizAv maintenance teams for AI adoption starts with helping them understand how these tools fit into their daily workflows. Most vendors, including Bluetail, design AI solutions to be intuitive and handle the complex work behind the scenes, so deep technical training isn’t required. (Other vendors offering something like AI-based predictive maintenance will obviously require more hand holding.) What’s most important is fostering openness to new tools and designating internal champions to connect the vendor to ensure ultimate success.
Companies like Bluetail who are looking to become the system of action in business aviation maintenance have the potential to radically change the current workflow, data and economics for an industry that, for all its amazing progress, still has room for radical improvements. For aircraft owners and operators, the potential payoff should be clear: more aircraft availability, reduced unscheduled downtime, lower compliance risk and less burnout for maintenance professionals.
Business aviation has always thrived on precision and safety. By embracing AI systems of action, maintenance teams won’t just record what was done, they’ll get more of it done, faster and smarter. And of course, Rick Deckard will stay vigilant – just in case.
