Air New Zealand to carry out heavy maintenance for domestic Australian airline

Air New Zealand’s Engineering Services ANZES has signed a $45 million, five-year contract with Virgin Blue Airlines Pty for the heavy maintenance of the Australian airline’s domestic Boeing737 fleet.

Air New Zealand has carried out the heavy maintenance checks on Virgin Blue’s Boeing 737-700 and -800NGs at its Christchurch base for the past three years. The five-year deal renews a contract due to expire at the end of this year.

Air New Zealand Technical Operations general manager Chris Nassenstein says securing the new contract was satisfying as it complements the maintenance of Air New Zealand’s own 737 fleet in Christchurch and provides appropriate scale at the base.

It also complements a five-year contract won mid-year to carry out heavy maintenance for Hawaiian Airlines on Boeing 767s at the Auckland base.

“It gives us a solid platform for the engineering business at both bases,” says Mr Nassenstein. “That in turn strengthens our ability to provide the highest quality engineering services to Air New Zealand’s passengers and our other customers.”

Mr Nassenstein says the two contracts prove ANZES’ international competitiveness.

“We are one of few businesses in New Zealand bringing skilled engineering work into the country,” he says.

The contract covers the heavy maintenance checks of Virgin Blue’s fleet of 50 aircraft used on the domestic Australian market.