Bombardier and Rolls-Royce have introduced an enhanced aircraft health monitoring solution for Global 5500 and Global 6500 business jets, combining Bombardier’s Smart Link Plus system with Rolls-Royce’s newly developed Engine Vibration and Health Monitoring Unit (EVHMU) for the Pearl 15 engine.
The integrated solution is designed to provide operators with real-time aircraft and engine health data, enabling faster troubleshooting, improved maintenance planning and increased aircraft availability while reducing unscheduled downtime.
Bombardier’s Smart Link Plus system continuously collects critical aircraft data, allowing flight crews and maintenance teams to monitor aircraft performance, prioritise in-flight alerts and make informed operational decisions. The system currently supports approximately 450 Bombardier aircraft worldwide and has achieved a 99% renewal rate among existing operators, reflecting strong customer confidence in its predictive maintenance capabilities.
The addition of Rolls-Royce’s EVHMU further expands the system’s functionality by automatically transmitting engine performance and health data during and after every flight. Working alongside Smart Link Plus, the technology provides access to approximately 10,000 engine performance and health parameters, giving maintenance specialists unprecedented visibility into engine condition and operational trends.
The integrated platform enables Rolls-Royce‘s 24/7 Business Aviation Aircraft Availability Centre to remotely analyse engine data using advanced analytics, cloud-based technologies and artificial intelligence. The system is designed to identify potential issues before they impact operations, allowing maintenance teams to plan corrective actions proactively and minimise aircraft downtime.
In addition to monitoring overall engine health, the EVHMU also tracks the performance of key Line Replaceable Units (LRUs), further strengthening Rolls-Royce’s predictive maintenance capabilities and supporting improved fleet reliability.
Commenting on the development, Anthony Cox, Vice President, Customer Support at Bombardier, said the integration provides Global 5500 and Global 6500 operators with a seamless end-to-end aircraft and engine monitoring solution that enhances aircraft performance, improves reliability and helps control maintenance costs. He added that the collaboration demonstrates how Bombardier and Rolls-Royce are leveraging their combined OEM expertise to simplify maintenance while delivering greater value to customers.
Andy Robinson, Senior Vice President, Services – Business Aviation at Rolls-Royce, said the new engine health monitoring capability further strengthens the company’s comprehensive business aviation support offering. By combining digital analytics, artificial intelligence, cloud-based monitoring and bi-directional communication, the solution provides operators with higher engine availability, greater operational confidence and a more proactive approach to maintenance management.
Global 5500 and Global 6500 operators can now schedule installations of both the Smart Link Plus system and the Engine Vibration and Health Monitoring Unit at Bombardier Service Centres worldwide. The technologies are also now installed as standard on all newly manufactured Global 5500 and Global 6500 aircraft.
Driving the future of predictive MRO
The collaboration reflects the growing shift towards data-driven maintenance within business aviation, where real-time aircraft health monitoring is becoming an essential tool for improving fleet reliability and reducing maintenance costs. By integrating aircraft and engine diagnostics into a single digital ecosystem, Bombardier and Rolls-Royce are enabling operators to move beyond traditional scheduled maintenance towards more predictive, condition-based maintenance strategies.
As digital technologies, artificial intelligence and advanced analytics continue to transform aircraft maintenance, integrated health monitoring solutions such as Smart Link Plus and the EVHMU are expected to play an increasingly important role in enhancing aircraft availability, optimising maintenance planning and improving lifecycle management across the business aviation sector.
