Air New Zealand has signed an agreement to provide turboprop maintenance for Air Calédonie.
The deal marks Air NZ's first turboprop MRO contract for an international customer.
Under the contract, Air NZ Regional Maintenance will carry out heavy maintenance for Air Calédonie’s three ATR 72-500s and one ATR 42-500 aircraft at its base in Nelson.
The first Air Calédonie ATR42-500 is due to arrive on 6 March, with work to commence the following day, says Air NZ. It will undergo its 10-year maintenance check.
Air NZ's Regional Maintenance was established as a separate entity in 2015, aimed at consolidating its turboprop MRO work at its Nelson facility.
“The close proximity of New Caledonia to New Zealand, together with the facilities offered and experienced turboprop engineers, is a good proposition for our airline," says Air Calédonie chief executive officer Samuel Hnepeune.
Flightglobal's Fleets Analyzer lists that Air Calédonie also has four ATR 72-600s on order, with another of the type on option.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
