All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd (ANA) and Lufthansa Technik AG have announced an agreement regarding technical collaboration on the Boeing 777-9. The agreement extends to AOG and line maintenance support in addition to digitising maintenance operations.
The Japanese carrier is one of the launching customers for the 777-9 while Lufthansa Technik is currently preparing its MRO readiness for the arrival of the first Lufthansa aircraft of this type planned in beginning of 2021.
According to LHT, the two partners have already identified different engineering and maintenance areas in which they want to collaborate or have started to do so. In the entry-into-service phase of the aircraft the two companies will share insights and best practice in engineering services and want to collaborate in aircraft production inspection. They will also cooperate in the fields of material planning and sharing, line maintenance services and aircraft-on-ground (AOG) support. Furthermore the partners plan to develop digital maintenance predictors on the technical base of AVIATAR, Lufthansa Technik’s independent digital operations suite. Further upcoming fields of collaboration will constantly be discussed between the two companies.
“We are proud to work with Lufthansa Technik, a company with a reputation for excellence in maintenance operations, to introduce the Boeing 777-9, ANA’s next-generation international aircraft,” said Toshihiro Miyamae, Vice President of ANA Engineering and Maintenance Center. ”Combining the strengths of our respective companies will allow us to leverage our superior capabilities and experience to keep the Boeing 777-9 operating at peak efficiency. This exciting partnership will bring engineers from both companies together and make it possible for them to collaborate at a high level, which we believe will advance the relationship of ANA and Lufthansa Technik and serve as a foundation for innovation.”
David Doyle, Vice President Corporate Strategy, Business Development and Innovation Management at Lufthansa Technik added: “We are very proud to join forces with such a renowned airline and long time partner like ANA to prepare for the entry into service of the Boeing 777-9 in the best possible way. ANA has extensive operational experience with the current 777 and 787 aircraft generation. We are convinced that within our collaboration we will generate fast and early learnings as well as relevant insights for both companies. This knowledge will help Lufthansa Technik to efficiently support not only Lufthansa but also our other customers who will order the 777-9.”