GE Aviation announced a 12-year TrueChoiceTM services agreement with China Southern Airlines for systems support across their Boeing 787 fleet. The agreement includes GE Aviation's Avionics Systems content and capabilities with the signing taking place at the China International Import Expo with Matt Dillhoff, general manager of Systems Global Services Sales for GE Aviation and Mr. Li Zhigang, senior vice president, Maintenance & Engineering Division, China Southern Airlines Company Limited.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by Mr. Ma Xulun, president & CEO, China Southern Airlines Holding Company Limited and Weiming Xiang, president of GE Aviation Greater China. "We are already seeing the benefit of our partnership with GE on this program," said Mr. Li Zhigang. Additionally, "GE Aviation's Systems' products are very important, and we appreciate our long-term good service from GE, especially after contract signed just in September." "Both China Southern and GE look forward to more and deeper cooperation," said Mr. Bai Bingsong, director Spare Supplies, Maintenance & Engineering Division, China Southern Airlines CO., Ltd.
The agreement covers GE Aviation content including the Common Core System and will support all of China Southern Airlines' fleet of 30 B787 aircraft, the last five of which will be delivered in 2020. "This particular GE TrueChoice solution is a flexible program designed to reduce operator costs and maximize aircraft availability," said Matt Dillhoff. "For China Southern Airlines, we will provide services solutions that best fit their needs so they can focus on the business of operating and sustaining a rapidly growing global airline."
The program for the China Southern Airlines B787 fleet will provide an optimized solution for through-life support and includes repairs, stock holding, inventory management, program management, configuration control, engineering change control, technical documentation, obsolescence management and reliability trend analysis.
Building on the airline's minimal B787 parts inventory, GE Aviation will guarantee just in time availability from its pool of B787 components to China Southern Airlines at its main base in Guangzhou and its outstations.
GE has developed a number of Integrated Logistics Management and Performance-based Logistics programs as part of its TrueChoice offering. Each component of the agreement is tailored to meet the customer's specific requirements, such as improved parts availability, shortened supply chain, improved operational efficiency and reduced life-cycle costs.
GE also has an Integrated Logistics Management program with Singapore Airlines and Emirates covering GE Aviation Systems products.
The TrueChoice services suite enables GE to accommodate any need and operational priority with an unmatched breadth of services and materials. Whether an operator, lessor or MRO, customers can be assured of offerings that realize maximum value across the asset life cycle.