Status Summary
Status Lifecycle
Detailed Status Definitions
Active
The aircraft is airworthy, current on all required inspections, and available for dispatch. Active aircraft appear in scheduling and dispatch selection lists and are assignable to trips. Prerequisites:- Current airworthiness certificate
- All required inspections (annual, progressive, or other applicable programs) completed
- No open MEL items that prevent dispatch for the planned mission
- Valid registration and insurance
Maintenance
The aircraft is undergoing planned maintenance and is temporarily unavailable for dispatch. This includes scheduled inspections, overhauls, modifications, and AD compliance work where a return-to-service date is known or estimable. Dispatch impact: Trips assigned to this aircraft are flagged for reassignment. The aircraft appears in scheduling views with a maintenance indicator and estimated return date.AOG (Aircraft on Ground)
The aircraft is grounded due to an unscheduled event — a mechanical failure, parts shortage, damage, or other condition that prevents flight and was not planned. AOG is distinct from Maintenance in urgency and unpredictability. Dispatch impact: Identical to Maintenance, but AOG triggers elevated notifications to dispatch and management. AOG events are tracked as a Safety Performance Indicator.Storage
The aircraft is in long-term storage — seasonal layup, awaiting sale, or temporarily removed from the active fleet. Unlike Retired or Sold, an aircraft in Storage can return to Active status after completing a return-to-service inspection. Dispatch impact: The aircraft is unavailable for dispatch and does not appear in scheduling selection lists. It remains visible in fleet views with a storage indicator. Maintenance: Due-item tracking continues on a calendar basis while the aircraft is in storage. Hours-based and cycles-based items are paused since the aircraft is not flying.Retired
The aircraft has been permanently removed from the fleet — decommissioned or damaged beyond economical repair. Retired is a terminal status. Data retention: All flight logs, maintenance records, and safety reports are retained indefinitely for regulatory compliance.Sold
The aircraft has been sold and ownership transferred to a new party. Sold is a terminal status, distinct from Retired in that the aircraft continues to operate under different ownership. Data retention: Same as Retired — all historical data is retained for regulatory compliance and audit purposes.Transition Rules
Retired and Sold are terminal statuses. Aircraft cannot be transitioned back to Active,
Maintenance, or AOG once retired or sold. Storage is reversible — aircraft can return to Active
after a return-to-service inspection.
Hours and Landings Tracking
PlaneConnection tracks cumulative time and cycles at the airframe, engine, and propeller levels.
These values update automatically when flight logs are posted. The due-items engine uses them to calculate upcoming maintenance events.
Aircraft Record Fields
Impact on Fleet Reporting
Related
Manage Aircraft
Aircraft record creation, editing, and management.
Setting Up Your Fleet
Initial fleet configuration walkthrough.
Track Due Items
Maintenance due-item calculation from aircraft hours and cycles.
MEL Deferrals
Minimum Equipment List deferral statuses and workflow.