Following the signing of a strategic partnership in late 2019 between Boeing and Etihad Airways encompassing operational reliability, maintenance and on-board experience, the OEM’s aftermarket division will now provide maintenance support to the airline’s fleet of Boeing 787 aircraft.
Under the terms of the component services program signed by the two parties at the Dubai International Air Show in November 2019, Boeing Global Services will aid maintenance on more than 300 operational critical parts found on the 787.
In addition, it will provide a landing gear exchange program including aircraft on ground coverage and high value airframe components and digital products to optimize Etihad’s maintenance activities. In total, the commercial and technical agreements in place are valued at approximately AED 800 million ($215 million)
The aim of this maintenance agreement is to ensure better reliability and efficiency, says Mohammad Al Bulooki, chief operating officer of Etihad. “This is an important demonstration of Etihad’s ongoing focus toward the post-COVID world, and its endeavors to set the benchmark for operational excellence in both product and sustainability, as well as technical performance and efficiency,” Al Bulooki says.
Etihad took its first 787-9 back in 2014 and to date has 38 of the aircraft family in-service, comprised of 30 -9 variants and eight -10s, which it first received delivery of in 2018. The Abu Dhabi-based carrier is the Middle East region’s largest 787 operator and has further orders in place for up to 32 more of the widebody aircraft.
Despite being less maintenance intensive than some of its widebody predecessors, the 787 is still projected by Aviation Week's Fleet & MRO Forecast to generate an aftermarket spend $87.3 billion from this year through to 2029.
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