London Luton airport-based Monarch Aircraft Engineering looks to have stolen SR Technics' thunder with its selection by Boeing as the airframe maintenance supplier for 787 GoldCare programme launch customer TUI Travel.
Sources close to the programme said at last week's MRO Americas exhibition in Phoenix that Monarch won the deal, announced on 13 April, at TUI's request. Boeing had selected SR as non-exclusive European GoldCare airframe maintenance provider as long ago as July 2006 but, sources say, the two have been embroiled in a dispute over contractual terms.
Now, SR is no longer listed as a GoldCare partner, although the Swiss company is thought to be continuing discussions with Boeing about joining the programme.
The TUI group is scheduled to begin taking delivery of 787s in early 2012, with 13 aircraft to be maintained by Monarch under GoldCare. Implementation of the GoldCare service will begin about 12 months before delivery. For each of its 787s, TUI has committed to GoldCare for 12 years, which is when the first heavy check for the 787 will be required.
Boeing says there is increased interest in GoldCare, which was launched in 2004, now that it has secured a launch customer and that the 787 test-flight programme has begun after several delays. "The whole market was really looking at when the airplane is going to fly. The delays we had in the programme slowed the pace down," it says.
"Now that we have TUI announced as the launch customer for GoldCare we really believe the market will become more attuned, more involved and more wanting to engage with GoldCare."
Boeing sees most GoldCare customers signing up about 18 months before first delivery. While GoldCare is now only available on the 787, Boeing expects to begin offering the lifecycle maintenance service on at least one other aircraft type later this year.
Source: Flight International
