AOG Logistics: The Supply Chain Sprint Nobody Sees

When people talk about AOG management, the conversation almost always focuses on the sourcing problem: finding the right part, in the right condition, with the right documentation. That's real and it's hard. But in my experience on the AOG desk, the sourcing problem is often solved in the first hour. What takes the other five hours — or the other fifteen — is logistics.

AOG logistics is the supply chain sprint that nobody sees. It's the set of problems that emerge between 'part confirmed available' and 'part in the hands of the engineer.' And it's where a large proportion of AOG cases are actually won or lost.

The logistics stack of an AOG

Once a part is sourced, a series of logistics decisions need to happen in rapid sequence — often simultaneously. Each one has failure modes that can add hours to the resolution:

• ›Freight mode selection — air freight is the default, but charter vs. scheduled, express courier vs. cargo, and which carrier has the fastest connection all need to be evaluated against the specific routing
• ›Customs and export control — aviation parts are subject to dual-use export regulations in many jurisdictions. A part moving from the US to a country with export restrictions can be stopped at the border, adding 24–72 hours regardless of how fast the freight moves
• ›Dangerous goods classification — hydraulic fluids, batteries, and certain aircraft chemicals are classified as dangerous goods. Misdeclared DG shipments get pulled from aircraft and can miss connections entirely
• ›Documentation completeness — the part needs its airworthiness release certificate (EASA Form 1 or FAA 8130-3) to accompany the shipment. Missing or incorrect documentation means the part cannot be installed even if it arrives on time
• ›Last-mile delivery — at a hub airport with a 24-hour cargo facility, last-mile is straightforward. At a remote outstation with limited ground handling, getting a part from the cargo terminal to the aircraft can take two hours on its own

The outstation problem

Hub AOGs are hard. Outstation AOGs are a different category of problem. When an aircraft goes AOG at a major hub — Heathrow, Frankfurt, Dubai — the infrastructure is there: freight connections every hour, cargo handlers who know the process, customs clearance that moves quickly, and often a nearby MRO with spares on the shelf.

When the same aircraft goes AOG at a regional outstation — a secondary airport in a country with limited freight connections, restricted opening hours, and a single cargo handler who may or may not have experience with aviation parts — the logistics problem multiplies. The part might be sourced in an hour. Getting it there might take two days.

What good AOG logistics coordination looks like

• ›A freight forwarder with aviation AOG experience on speed dial — not a general logistics broker who has to look up what an EASA Form 1 is
• ›Pre-established relationships with customs brokers at key outstations, with after-hours contact details
• ›Clear DG classification guidance so that documentation is completed correctly the first time
• ›A tracking protocol that gives the airline customer real-time visibility on shipment status — not just 'it's on its way'
• ›A fallback plan — what happens if the primary freight connection is missed, and how quickly can an alternative be activated

The communication piece

AOG logistics is as much a communication problem as a physical one. The airline's operations control centre, the station manager at the outstation, the engineer waiting for the part, the freight forwarder, the customs broker — all of them need to be kept informed and aligned. A shipment that is tracking on time but has a documentation issue discovered at origin needs to be communicated immediately, not when it fails to arrive.