EVENDALE, OHIO - GE Engine Services (GEES) has been selected as the exclusive provider of engine maintenance and support for Boeing NetJets (BNJ) fleet of Boeing Business Jets (BBJ). The agreement is valued at about $70 million.
Boeing NetJets is a joint venture between Boeing Business Jets and Executive Jet Aviation, which pioneered the field of fractional ownership of jet aircraft.
The long-term Maintenance Cost Per HourSM (MCPHSM) program provides comprehensive maintenance support for the CFM56-7 engines that power the BNJ fleet. This includes: engine overhaul and repair; accessory services; spare parts inventory; 24-hour availability of lease engines; and access to GEES On-Wing SupportSM operations for 24-hour out station removals worldwide. The BNJ joint venture has purchased nine BBJs, and the fleet could eventually grow to as many as 29 aircraft. GEES will provide support for each engine for 10 years beginning with initial entry into service.
"This agreement marks our entry into a BBJ support service," said Bill Vareschi, president of GE Engine Services. "We're excited to be selected by Boeing for the BNJ. Boeing NetJets is going to be a great customer, but we think it is only the beginning. GE Engine Services has the tools and programs in place to provide the highest standards of maintenance and service excellence for the BNJ fractional owners and to change the way these customers look at support."
GEES has also formed a ground-breaking agreement with Delta Air Lines' Technical Operations Division, which was selected as the aircraft maintenance supplier, to provide seamless support for the NetJets fleet.
"The agreement we have with Delta is the first of its kind in this industry," said Vareschi. "We are literally a 'one-stop' shop for all the maintenance needs of the NetJets BBJ fleet. In the future, we can capitalize on this synergy to provide comprehensive support to BBJ operators around the world."
"GE and Delta were selected based upon our desire to provide BNJ owners with worldwide, high quality support," said BBJ president Borge Boeskov. "We wanted to offer these services around the clock and make it easy for the BNJ operation to access technical expertise or global support with one telephone call."
The engines will initially be serviced at the GEES facility at Strother Field in Kansas. However, plans are already under way to provide CFM56-7 maintenance and overhaul capabilities at the GEES service shops in Europe and in Asia.