Media Release
24 July 2007

Air New Zealand announces $45 million heavy maintenance contract for Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 767s

Air New Zealand Technical Operations has won a five-year contract to carry out heavy maintenance on Hawaiian Airlines' fleet of 18 Boeing 767 aircraft.

The contract is worth around NZ$45 million to Air New Zealand.

Air New Zealand Tech Ops General Manager Chris Nassenstein says winning the contract meant the division had fulfilled its promise to staff to become internationally competitive.

"Today's announcement clearly demonstrates that our strategy of improving our productivity and creating a more flexible working environment within Tech Ops has given a platform to build future success and security for our people," says Mr Nassenstein.

"Securing this contract is also particularly satisfying in an environment where the exchange rate is so high, making it even more difficult to compete against top maintenance, repair and overhaul organisations, especially in Asia and Europe."

Hawaiian Airlines President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Dunkerley said
Air New Zealand Tech Ops won the contract by offering the best combination of experience and quality.

"Knowing Tech Ops' worldwide reputation for technical excellence, we asked other recent customers about their work and liked what we heard," he says.

"Their expertise and superior knowledge of the 767 will further strengthen Hawaiian's industry-leading reliability."

Mr Nassenstein says the first Hawaiian aircraft will arrive in Auckland in mid-August and the contract virtually filled all the spare capacity on the heavy maintenance production line over the next five years.

"We can build on our expertise working on 767s, and become a centre of excellence in this aircraft type," says Mr Nassenstein.

ENDS

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