How to Choose an MRO: 8 Checks Before You Send Your Aircraft

MRO means maintenance, repair, and overhaul. It is the shop that keeps your aircraft safe and legal to fly. A bad choice can mean long delays, hidden costs, and an aircraft that sits on the ground. Use these eight checks before you send yours.

1. Check the approvals

Every MRO needs approval from the aviation authority. In the USA, look for an FAA repair station certificate. In Europe, look for an EASA Part-145 approval. Other countries have their own. Ask for the certificate number and check that it covers your aircraft type.

Look at the scope of the approval. A shop may be approved for some tasks, but not others. If your aircraft needs an engine overhaul, the shop needs the right rating for it.

2. Match the shop to your aircraft

Some MROs work on one family of aircraft. Others take many types. A shop that sees your type every week will know its common faults. Ask how many aircraft like yours they have serviced this year.

Many manufacturers also run authorized service centers. These use factory training, tools, and data. They often cost more, but they matter when the aircraft is under warranty.

3. Ask about the work scope

Line maintenance fixes small things between flights. Base maintenance covers heavy checks, where the aircraft is in the hangar for weeks. Make sure the shop does the level you need. Our guide to private jet maintenance explains the checks most jets face.

4. Ask about turnaround time

Time on the ground costs money. Ask for a written schedule. Ask what happens if the shop finds extra work. Good shops tell you early and ask before they go ahead.

5. Check how they source parts

Parts delays are a main cause of late releases. Ask if the shop keeps common parts in stock. Ask how it finds parts for urgent jobs. Ask if you can supply your own. For urgent cases, read where to find aircraft parts suppliers and AOG brokers.

6. Compare quotes the right way

A low quote can hide extras. Ask each shop for the same list and compare line by line:

• Labor rate and estimated hours
• Parts, with new or used stated
• Shop fees, storage, and ground time
• Rules for extra work found during the check

7. Look at location

Flying the aircraft to the shop costs fuel and crew time. A shop in a cheaper country may not save money after the ferry flight. Add all costs.

8. Ask for references

Ask for two or three customers with the same aircraft type. Call them. Ask about quality, delays, and surprises. Also check the shop's safety record and audit results with the regulator, if public.

Red flags

• The shop will not show its certificate.
• The quote is a single number with no detail.
• The shop promises a date but will not write it down.
• Staff cannot name who signs off the work.
• Past customers will not talk to you.

Before the aircraft arrives

Send the shop your maintenance records and the work list early. Agree on who approves extra work and how fast. Agree on how you will get updates, such as a weekly call or a photo report. Good planning cuts days off the visit.

Quick checklist

Check	Question to ask
Approval	Does it cover my aircraft type and the work?
Experience	How many aircraft like mine this year?
Time	What is the written schedule?
Parts	What do you stock, and how do you source the rest?
Price	What is in the quote and what is not?

For more options, see best aircraft maintenance companies. If you run an MRO, our list of MRO software platforms may help.

Find an MRO

Search maintenance shops in our Maintenance directory category.

Sources: FAA 14 CFR Part 145 (repair stations); EASA Part-145 maintenance organisation approvals.