Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) has entered an agreement with Air New Zealand to provide an engine service and support programme.

As part of the deal, P&WC will provide engine maintenance services for PW123-powered DHC8-300 aircraft and PW127M-powered ATR72-500/600 aircraft fleet operated by Air New Zealand’s Air Nelson and Mount Cook unit, respectively.

P&WC will also install its FAST solution for advanced prognostics and engine health management on more than 50 Air New Zealand aircraft.

“This agreement demonstrates the importance of working closely with customers to understand the intricacies of their business and develop solutions that address their needs.”

The FAST solution is designed to monitor engine health, usage and trends by obtaining and analysing full-flight data such as automated propeller vibration trend monitoring.

According to P&WC, the technology also offers increased availability and reduced operating costs to users.

P&WC customer service vice-president Michel Toutant said: “The combination of our customised engine service and support program and FAST technology is a comprehensive solution that will help Air New Zealand with its maintenance costs while enabling preventive engine and aircraft health management through more timely, accurate, in-depth data.

“This agreement demonstrates the importance of working closely with customers to understand the intricacies of their business and develop solutions that address their needs.”

In a separate development, P&WC signed a Fleet Management Programme (FMP) agreement with Latin American airline Avianca to maintain the carrier’s fleet of PW127N engines powering ATR72-600 aircraft.