The Application of Resilience Engineering (RE) in Aviation MRO: A Systematic Literature Review and Conceptual Synthesis

The Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) of jet engines is a complex, high-reliability domain where safety management has traditionally been governed by reactive, Safety-I principles. However, the increasing complexity of socio-technical systems and the limitations of linear risk models in addressing performance variability and unforeseen events have prompted calls for a paradigm shift. This paper presents a systematic literature review that maps and synthesizes the emerging body of knowledge on the application of RE within aviation MRO. The review methodology follows a structured process to identify, select, and critically appraise relevant academic and industry literature. The analysis reveals that current research is nascent but evolving rapidly. Key themes identified include: (1) the conceptual argument for RE as a necessary complement to traditional risk assessment, moving focus from failure prevention to the understanding of successful performance adaptations; (2) the identification of latent resilience capabilities-anticipating, monitoring, responding, and learning--within established MRO practices like Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) and human factors analysis; and (3) early-stage frameworks proposing integration pathways for RE principles. The synthesis demonstrates a significant gap between theoretical propositions and empirical validation. While the potential of RE to enhance system adaptability and safety is widely argued, there is a scarcity of quantitative models and concrete case studies demonstrating its implementation and efficacy in live MRO environments. This review concludes that Resilience Engineering offers a vital theoretical lens for understanding and strengthening jet engine MRO systems. It identifies critical research gaps and proposes a future agenda focused on developing validated metrics, simulation models, and implementation strategies to bridge theory and practice, ultimately contributing to enhanced aviation safety and reliability.

Keywords: Resilience Engineering, Organizational Resilience Safety, MRO, Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul, Jet Engines maintenance, Aviation Safety.