Digital maintenance planning arrives for Boeing’s four-engine C-17 military aircraft

Boeing has selected Pelico’s production orchestration platform to improve heavy maintenance planning for the U.S. Air Force’s C-17A Globemaster III, aiming to reduce aircraft downtime and improve fleet readiness. The agreement brings Pelico’s software into Boeing Global Services, where it will connect maintenance planning, procurement, engineering, and shop floor operations through a single digital workspace. Replacing manual workflows Heavy maintenance programs often rely on disconnected spreadsheets and separate tracking systems, making it difficult for teams to respond quickly when parts shortages or production bottlenecks emerge. Boeing expects Pelico’s platform to provide a shared, real-time operational picture, allowing maintenance personnel to identify issues earlier and coordinate work across departments before delays spread through the repair schedule. The platform will link information from procurement, engineering, production planning and maintenance activities into one environment. That visibility is expected to shorten maintenance cycles and make aircraft return dates more predictable for operators. Turbo Sjogren, vice president and general manager of utilities at Boeing Global Services, said customers depend on Boeing to keep fleets available for operations. “Pelico’s platform will give us a clear and comprehensive view of potential maintenance and support challenges,” Sjogren said. He added that the software should help teams work more efficiently, reduce aircraft downtime and improve schedule performance. Expanding digital maintenance The agreement follows an earlier deployment of Pelico’s platform within Boeing Global Services’ commercial parts business. Boeing said that implementation helped reduce operational backlogs while improving overall workflow efficiency, encouraging broader adoption of the technology. Pelico’s software is designed to replace traditional sales and operations execution processes with a real-time manufacturing orchestration system. The platform provides a real-time view of material availability and helps teams understand what is ready for production. Built-in AI agents continuously assess material coverage risks, recommend recovery options, and coordinate actions across procurement, production, and customer service teams, allowing personnel to make faster decisions while keeping humans in control of critical maintenance activities. Pelico believes similar operational visibility can help maintenance organizations manage increasingly complex aircraft support programs, especially as fleets remain in service longer than originally planned. Tarik Benabdallah, Pelico’s chief executive officer and co-founder, said maintaining legacy aircraft requires organizations to manage a web of interconnected supply chain and repair activities over decades of service. He said the platform gives Boeing a broader operational picture across procurement, production and repair activities. That visibility allows teams to detect disruptions earlier and coordinate corrective actions before maintenance schedules slip. Potential across more fleets The companies also plan to evaluate whether the platform can support maintenance operations on additional aircraft programs beyond the C-17. For Boeing, the initiative reflects a broader shift toward digital maintenance management, where software increasingly supports decisions once handled through manual tracking and isolated planning systems. Faster coordination between engineering teams, supply chain managers and technicians could help reduce aircraft turnaround times while improving the availability of mission-critical fleets.The C-17A Globemaster III remains one of the U.S. military’s primary strategic airlifters, transporting troops, equipment and humanitarian aid worldwide. As these aircraft continue to age, improving maintenance efficiency has become increasingly important for sustaining operational readiness without extending aircraft downtime.Recommended ArticlesGet the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Aamir is a seasoned tech journalist with experience at Exhibit Magazine, Republic World, and PR Newswire. With a deep love for all things tech and science, he has spent years decoding the latest innovations and exploring how they shape industries, lifestyles, and the future of humanity.