Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) announced today that it has signed an agreement with New Zealand's national airline to deliver an engine service and support program. The engine maintenance solution for Air New Zealand covers PW123-powered DHC8-300 aircraft in the airline's Air Nelson fleet and PW127M-powered ATR72-500/600 aircraft in the airline's Mount Cook fleet. The agreement also includes installation of P&WC's FASTâ„¢ solution for advanced prognostics and engine health management on more than 50 aircraft. P&WC is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX).

"The combination of our customized engine service and support program and FAST technology is a comprehensive solution that will help Air New Zealand with its maintenance costs while enabling preventive engine and aircraft health management through more timely, accurate, in-depth data," said Michel Toutant, Vice President, Customer Service, P&WC. "This agreement demonstrates the importance of working closely with customers to understand the intricacies of their business and develop solutions that address their needs."

Air New Zealand Group General Manager Regional Airlines Carrie Hurihanganui said, "This agreement builds on our long association with Pratt & Whitney Canada and supports our engineering and maintenance programmes for our regional airline fleets while delivering long term cost efficiencies."

The inclusion of P&WC's turnkey FAST prognostics solution is another key advantage. The technology monitors engine health, usage and trends by capturing and analyzing full-flight data-including automated propeller vibration trend monitoring. The FAST solution goes beyond traditional diagnostics and prognostics to enable proactive and predictive engine health management, helping drive increased availability and lower operating costs. More than 1,200 FAST solutions have been delivered across numerous platforms, including 20 regional airlines.