AirAsia awards Long-Term Maintenance Contract to GE Engine Services

AirAsia has awarded a nine-year agreement to GE Engine Services for maintenance of its CFM56-3B2 engines. The contract is valued at more than $50 million (USD).

The agreement calls for GE to maintain 16 CFM56-3B2 engines that power AirAsia’s growing fleet of Boeing 737-300 aircraft. GE currently performs maintenance on the CFM56-3 series engines that power AirAsia’s initial fleet of six Boeing 737-300 aircraft. Maintenance and overhaul work for both agreements will be conducted at GE Engine Services Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.

Tony Fernandes, Group Chief Executive Officer, AirAsia, said “AirAsia is extending our commitment to GE Malaysia in view of the endorsement on the high quality of work standard and services that was seen throughout a partnership formed in 2002. We believe in strengthening partnerships that work well for our business and allow us to keep costs low while ensuring the highest quality services.”

Tassapon Bijleveld, Chief Executive Officer, Thai AirAsia commented, “It gives us great pleasure to be associated with GE Engine Services (GEES), an engine maintenance provider with such a distinguished and reliable reputation. Our continued partnership with GEES shows our confidence in the quality of GEES’s services and our commitment to ensure that the safety and reliability of our engines are efficiently maintained. Incidentally, AirAsia shares the same service provider (GEES) with Thai Airways. It goes to show that as Asia’s first low fare airline, AirAsia can offer opportunities for people to fly and take pride in the high safety standards of our services.”

“AirAsia is a valuable customer in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Dan Heintzelman, president and CEO of GE Engine Services. “We are pleased to continue to offer them our product knowledge and expertise as they grow their business.”