Smart Link Plus aircraft health system enables proactive decision-making
Knowledge is power, and Mauro Bustamante Corradetti says Bombardier’s Smart Link Plus aircraft health monitoring system (AHMS) arms him with the information he needs to make proactive decisions that keep his aircraft in the air.
A 25-year aviation industry professional, Bustamante Corradetti owns and operates Single Point Aero Solutions in Madrid-Spain, delivering remote aircraft management services and operational support for owners and private operators. He currently oversees four aircraft, all Bombardier models of varying ages.
Five years ago, one of his clients took delivery of a Bombardier Global 7500 aircraft, equipped with the revolutionary Smart Link Plus AHMS.
“When you have a plane that has no home base, it’s not always coming home to an engineer waiting for it,” explained Bustamante Corradetti, who is an aircraft maintenance engineer with airframe and powerplant experience and a specialization in avionics. “In my case, I’m monitoring the aircraft remotely. When it flies to remote places where there is no local maintenance support, I really need a trusted tool that gives me information about how the aircraft is performing and alerts me whenever there are any system issues.”
Immediately, he realized the value of Smart Link Plus.
“We started using the Smart Link Plus service and got access to truly valuable aircraft operational data. Even when the plane was in the air, we got specific fault information we could use to open a case with Bombardier’s Customer Response Centre (CRC). This means a ready solution waiting when you land – this is what the tool has given us.”
With older aircraft not equipped with Smart Link Plus, Bustamante Corradetti said the only way to be proactive was to dispatch a technician to meet the plane and start an investigation.
“Now, in most cases, the AHMS means you can be prepared even with spares. The CRC may recognize the situation and recommend the spare needed for proactive order; the aircraft lands and the plan is already set, as every hour counts.”
For a client, an aircraft-on-ground (AOG) event represents a major inconvenience and a significant financial and time loss. Smart Link Plus monitors aircraft health, sending real-time data and providing the technical team overseeing the aircraft with access to system parameters and fault information. This helps them make proactive decisions that reduce down time and avoid unnecessary costs.
“The cost of a Smart Link Plus subscription pays for itself with just one AOG case,” said Bustamante Corradetti. “It saves days on the ground because you have all the information in advance. As soon as you can validate certain data, you know if you must ground the aircraft. At the end of the day, it saves the client time – and time equals cost.”
Sometimes, he added, data generated by Smart Link Plus can help prevent an AOG situation and even establish patterns that can lead to a solution for recurrent issues.
“CRC can get a lot of information that they didn’t have before without physically downloading that information. Now, all that data is stored in the system and service cloud for the entire fleet.”
Also, Smart Link Plus records the dates and times of different types of failures, easily compiling the required documentation for warranty claims, if needed.
“When talking to a client, I always draw on my own experience,” concluded Bustamante Corradetti. “If I were in your position and managing this aircraft, and I knew this tool was available, I would take advantage of it. The system and the information is already there, ready to support both reactive and proactive maintenance decisions.”
In 2026, building on his previous background, Bustamante Corradetti effectively supported the enrollment of Bombardier’s Smart Link Plus service for two newly delivered Bombardier aircraft, a Global 6500 and a Challenger 3500, as his clients came to understand the benefits of fully leveraging this service, since the required system/hardware is part of the aircraft’s standard baseline configuration on all new Bombardier deliveries.