Air New Zealand’s gas turbines business has won its third contract in three years to service the US Navy General Electric LM2500 power turbines.
The Auckland-based team will begin maintenance on 10 turbines powering the US Navy’s cruiser fleet in August with completion due in late 2021, Air New Zealand said on Friday.
The contract was worth more than US$17 million (A$24 million).
Air New Zealand announced in October 2018 that its gas turbines business had been awarded a US$17 million contract to service and overhaul 12 of US Navy power turbines. In 2017 it secured $US20m ($28.48m) of work on 11 US Navy engine units.
The latest contract brings the amount of committed US Navy work to US$55 million (A$78.32 million) the airline said.
Air New Zealand Gas Turbines is part of the the airline’s engineering and maintenance division an provides maintenance planning, configuration control and reliability management of wide and narrow body jet fleets and components.
Its line, light and heavy maintenance teams and support workshops carry out maintenance, modification, repair and overhaul at the Auckland and Christchurch jet bases.
Air New Zealand chief ground operations officer Carrie Hurihanganui said there was competitive bidding for the contract that was built on a relationship the airline had with the US Navy dating back to the late 1990s.
“The contract is a significant body of work for our business and demonstrates the robust working relationship we have built with the US Navy,” Hurihanganui said in a statement.
Air New Zealand Gas Turbines began sourcing work in the industrial and marine sector more than 35 years ago, supporting navies, offshore oil and gas platform operators and power generation companies.
The LM2500 marine gas turbine is a simple-cycle, two-shaft, high-performance engine. It is derived from General Electric’s CF6-6 aircraft engines which entered service with United Airlines and American Airlines in the late 1960s as preferred power plant for the Douglas DC-10 Series 10.
The LM2500, used by about 30 navies around the world, consists of a gas generator, a power turbine, attached fuel and lube oil pumps, a fuel control and speed governing system, associated inlet and exhaust sections, lube and scavenge systems as well as controls and devices for starting and monitoring engine operation.
Air New Zealand said work on the 10 power turbines under the new contract would begin in August 2019. The work was expected to finish in late 2021.
