An Airbus A320 operated by a Greek airline was grounded in Athens after a failure of an inner wing flap. Without this safety-critical component of the wing, the aircraft could not resume operations.

The required replacement flap was located at a supplier facility in Hamburg. To allow the aircraft to return to service the same day, the component had to arrive in Athens within eight hours. An overnight delay would have significantly disrupted the airline’s flight schedule and generated costs exceeding EUR 120,000 per day due to crew disruptions, passenger rebookings and necessary adjustments to the flight programme.

The shipment itself also posed logistical challenges. The packed flap measured 3.6 x 1.1 x 0.8 metres and weighed approximately 280 kilograms. No suitable scheduled flight was available at short notice. Pickup, export formalities, charter planning and ground handling therefore had to be organised simultaneously.

Solution

The Aerospace AOG team at Anytime responded within 15 minutes of receiving the order.

After a rapid assessment of available transport options, the team contacted several charter operators. Shortly afterwards, a Metroliner III aircraft was confirmed, offering both the required payload capacity and a cargo hold capable of accommodating the dimensions of the flap. At the same time, Anytime secured airport slots in Hamburg and Athens and arranged immediate collection from the supplier.

Anytime also managed the complete export process, preparing the Air Waybill and export declaration while proactively coordinating customs procedures with the relevant authorities.

After a flight time of three hours and fifteen minutes, the aircraft landed in Athens on schedule at 17:40 local time. During the flight, the Anytime team had already coordinated the handover with the airline’s maintenance partner at Athens Airport.

Following prioritised ground handling in the cargo area, the flap was delivered directly to the airline’s technician at 18:05. Installation could be completed later the same evening.

Result

From order confirmation to delivery in Athens, the entire operation took just seven hours and 35 minutes.

The aircraft was able to return to service at 21:00 local time, allowing the airline to avoid costly flight cancellations and significant disruption to its flight schedule.

This case illustrates how critical rapid response times, decisive action and well-established operational processes are in time-critical aerospace logistics. Equally important are transparent communication and a reliable global network within the aerospace sector. Through close coordination between the airline, the MRO partner, the charter operator and the Anytime Aerospace team, the complex AOG situation was successfully resolved within just a few hours.