Defects

The Defects tab is the technical issue workflow for an aircraft. It brings together pilot-reported defects from the Aerolync Pilot app with the maintenance review, action tracking, and release-to-service process managed by operations and maintenance staff in Fleet.

Quickstart: Setting up defect reporting for an aircraft

1. Open the aircraft in Fleet and go to Configuration.
2. Enable Accept defect reporting in Aerolync-Pilot app so pilots can submit defects on arrival.
3. Optionally enable Show open defects in Aerolync-Pilot app so pilots can see unresolved defects before departure.
4. Go to Settings > e-Mail notifications and configure a new defect notification recipient email address so that operations or maintenance staff are alerted immediately when a pilot reports a defect.
5. Inform pilots about the defect reporting capability and what to expect.
6. Monitor the Defects tab regularly for new items in In Review.
7. Review each report and either accept it (assign a severity) or reject it.
8. For Grounded defects, create a schedule block to prevent bookings.
9. Record maintenance actions as work is performed.
10. Add an RTS statement when the work is complete.
11. Close the defect — any related schedule block is automatically deactivated.

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Opening the Defects tab

1. Open Fleet from the main navigation.
2. Click the aircraft you want to review.
3. Select the Defects tab.

The tab is split into two panels: a defect list on the left and the selected defect detail on the right. Click any defect in the list to view its full details.

How defects are created

Defects can enter the system in two ways:

From the Aerolync Pilot app (automatic)

When defect reporting is enabled for an aircraft (see Configuration), pilots can submit a defect during the arrival flow. The defect is created in Fleet with the status In Review and is linked to the related flight. This is the primary way defects enter the system in day-to-day operations.

Manually from the Fleet module

Operations or maintenance staff can create a defect directly from the Defects tab. A manually created defect requires:

• Title -- a short, descriptive summary of the issue.
• Description -- a detailed explanation of the defect.
• Severity -- Minor, Major, or Grounded (AOG).

You can also add:

• Remarks - Internal -- notes for internal coordination that are not visible to pilots.
• Remarks - Public -- notes visible to pilots in the Aerolync Pilot app when open defect visibility is enabled.
• Attachments -- photos, PDFs, or other documents that help describe or document the defect.

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Severity levels

Every active defect has one of three severity levels:

Status flow

Defects move through the following statuses:

Handling In Review defects

Defects submitted from the Pilot App always start as In Review. This gives operations and maintenance staff a chance to evaluate the report before it becomes an active defect.

For each In Review defect, you must take one of two actions:

Accept the defect

1. Open the defect from the list.
2. Assign a severity level (Minor, Major, or Grounded).
3. The defect moves to Open status and enters the active workflow.

Reject the defect

1. Open the defect from the list.
2. Choose the reject action.
3. The defect moves to Rejected status and is removed from the active defect list.

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Defect detail view

When you select a defect, the detail panel shows:

Schedule blocking from a defect

For Grounded (AOG) defects, you can create and manage a schedule block directly from the defect detail view. This is the fastest way to take an aircraft out of the schedule when a serious defect is discovered.

How to create a schedule block from a defect

1. Open the Grounded defect.
2. In the schedule block section, enter a start time and end time for the block.
3. Review the booking conflicts preview. This shows any existing reservations that fall within the block period.
4. If conflicts exist, you can cancel conflicting reservations from the same view.
5. Activate the schedule block.

The block appears on the scheduler immediately and prevents new bookings for the blocked period.

For more information on schedule blocks, see Schedule blocks.

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Maintenance actions

Open defects that have not yet received a Release To Service (RTS) can have maintenance actions recorded against them. Each maintenance action documents the work done to resolve the defect.

Adding a maintenance action

1. Open the defect.
2. In the maintenance actions section, add a new action.
3. Fill in:
   • Work performed -- a description of the maintenance work done.
   • Performed by -- the person who carried out the work.
   • Attachments -- any supporting documents or photos.
   • Release To Service (RTS) -- optionally mark this action as the RTS statement.
4. Save the action.

Release To Service (RTS)

The RTS statement is the formal declaration that the maintenance work has been completed and the aircraft is fit to return to service.

• After RTS, the defect can be moved to Closed status.
• If a schedule block was created from the defect, it is automatically deactivated when the defect is closed — the aircraft becomes available for booking and dispatch again.

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Common tasks

Review new defect reports Open the Defects tab and look for items with the In Review status. These are pilot-reported defects that need your attention.

Ground an aircraft due to a defect Set the severity to Grounded (AOG). Then create a schedule block from the defect detail to prevent bookings. Inform relevant staff.

Track maintenance progress Open the defect and review the maintenance actions section. Each action shows what work was performed and by whom.

Release an aircraft back to service Record a maintenance action with the RTS statement. Close the defect — any schedule block created from the defect is automatically deactivated.

Communicate with pilots about a defect Use the Remarks - Public field to add pilot-facing guidance. This is visible in the Pilot App when open defect visibility is enabled for the aircraft.

Generate a defects report You can generate a defects report for the aircraft from the Defects tab. This report provides an overview of all defects — open, closed, and rejected — for record-keeping, audits, or maintenance review purposes.

1. Open the aircraft in Fleet and go to the Defects tab.
2. Click Defects report.
3. The report is generated and can be downloaded or printed.

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Good practices

• Enable defect reporting in the Pilot App only for aircraft where you want arrival-based pilot reporting. Not all aircraft may need this.
• Review In Review defects quickly. Delays in reviewing defect reports can leave pilots and staff working without accurate aircraft status information.
• Keep defect titles short and descriptive. The title is what appears in the defect list, so it should be easy to scan.
• Use Grounded (AOG) severity only when the aircraft truly must not fly. Overusing this severity creates unnecessary operational disruption.
• Keep public remarks pilot-focused and concise. Pilots need clear, actionable information.
• Record all maintenance work as maintenance actions on the defect, not just in the description or remarks fields. Maintenance actions provide a structured, auditable record.
• After closing a defect, verify that the aircraft appears available on the schedule again. The schedule block is deactivated automatically, but it is good practice to confirm.
• Configure a defect notification email in Settings > e-Mail notifications so that new defect reports are not missed.