Aviation 4.0: the impacts of digital transformation on the aviation industry: evidence from maintenance, repair and overhaul operations
Mehmet Emin Sahin · Merve Sahin · Umaal Khan
Bussecon Review of Social Sciences · 2026 · Vol. 7 / Issue 4 · 01-15
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Abstract
The integration of Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, the Internet of Things, Cloud Computing and Cybersecurity into aviation – is reshaping how airlines and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) organisations create value, yet evidence on the gap between digital potential and at-scale implementation remains fragmented. This study examines how Aviation 4.0 technologies affect aviation operations, with a particular focus on MRO. A qualitative, mixed-methods design combines a systematic literature review, secondary evidence from an industry MRO digital survey, five semi-structured expert interviews (sales, data science, MRO operations, R&D innovation, and technology-provider management), and two technical case studies (neural networks for aircraft retirement and an AI-based digital twin for a Power Electronics Cooling System). Findings reveal that predictive maintenance is the dominant digital priority (prioritised by 56% of respondents), yet only 6% of MROs have scaled digital and analytics across the enterprise; over 80% cite data limitations and more than 70% cite organisational resistance as barriers. Field implementations in a focal MRO produced substantial measurable value, including $4.2M annual savings from an in-house planning platform and $6M additional revenue from an integrated quote-to-contract system. The study triangulates concept, practice and market evidence in a single crosswalk, clarifying where the Aviation 4.0 promise has materialised and where the principal barriers persist. Practically, this study provides MRO executives and policymakers with an evidence-based roadmap mapping conceptual potentials to realised implementations.
Keywords: {'name': 'Aviation 4.0, Digital Transformation, Predictive Maintenance, Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO), Artificial Intelligence'}
Authors & affiliations
Mehmet Emin Sahin
Ibn Haldun University
Merve Sahin
Ibn Haldun University
Umaal Khan
Ibn Haldun University
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