China’s Sichuan Airlines has selected Airbus to provide components and predictive maintenance services to its new fleet of four A350 XWB aircraft.

Under the arrangement, Airbus will provide its flight hour services (FHS) and real-time health monitoring service (AiRTHM) to the aircraft, which are expected to cater to the carrier’s international routes, including Chengdu, China to the US.

The long-term FHS-components and AiRTHM agreement will offer a wide scope of A350 line replaceable units (LRUs) and auxiliary power units (APUs), as well as guarantee spare parts availability through the Pool access service and on-site stock at Sichuan Airlines’ main base.

“This significant endorsement by Sichuan Airlines further reinforces Airbus’ position in the services market in China, and recognises our unique capability as an aircraft manufacturer.”

It will also provide component reliability management and maintenance services.

AiRTHM is further designed to include a proactive maintenance mode to A350 operations.

Airbus customer services head Philippe Mhun said: “This significant endorsement by Sichuan Airlines further reinforces Airbus’ position in the services market in China, and recognises our unique capability as an aircraft manufacturer.”

The newly secured agreement has also allowed Airbus to offer its FHS services to more than 400 aircraft, ranging from the A320, A330, A380 to the A350 XWB variants.

Sichuan Airlines currently operates an all-Airbus aircraft fleet.

The carrier was also the launch customer of Airbus FHS in China with its Airbus A330 fleet operating since 2009.