Selecting Asian and North American providers for Boeing's GoldCare maintenance programme for the 787 remains on the airframer's agenda, but the company is refraining from disclosing any timelines due to delays in delivery of the twinjet.
SR Technics in July 2006 was selected as Boeing's European maintenance provider for GoldCare. With respect to the Asian and North American selection process, a Boeing spokesman says: "We're working really hard on it."
He notes, however, that in light of the current machinists strike, which is "affecting every airplane programme we've got", assessing a timeline is "a little difficult".
In North America, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have bid to become the GoldCare maintenance provider.
Of these, American this week revealed a massive commitment for 787s. Delta will obtain 787s through its merger agreement with 787 order-holder Northwest Airlines. Management expects the merger deal to close by the end of the year.
United has not placed an order for 787s, although the carrier has previously said it is examining the type.
The Boeing spokesman says he is not aware of any changes to these three US carriers' bid for GoldCare work. What the 787 delays have allowed, however, is for the manufacturer to gain more 787 programme data and translate that information to GoldCare partners.
"As the schedule has shifted to the right with delays we've had, we found it [makes sense] to go back and talk to GoldCare partners, to go in and refine the agreements with them a bit," says the Boeing spokesman.
The manufacturer is "still looking at largely the same players", he says, noting that this refinement process is "really just a matter of fine-tuning things where everyone feels more solid because we've got better programme knowledge".
GoldCare is designed to act as a single contact point for customers, delivering material management, engineering and maintenance services at predictable costs. Boeing has already tweaked the programme due to pressure from 787 customers that wanted it broken into smaller modules. However, a launch customer has not yet been secured.
"We're close to the point where we'll be far enough down the road that we'll be able to engage with customers and get a launch customer [for GoldCare] lined up," says the Boeing spokesman.
Boeing in June revealed to ATI that the company is considering accelerating plans to extend GoldCare to other aircraft types within its portfolio.
"We are very seriously looking at that [but] when it would happen would be strictly guess work at this point. The emphasis is still the 787," says the spokesman.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
