Sichuan Airlines
Honeywell to provide its 131-9A APU to Sichuan Airline's 93 new A320 aircraft that will enter service in 2025. Credit: byeangel via flickr.

China-based Sichuan Airlines has signed a deal with Honeywell for the supply of auxiliary power units (APUs) for its A320 fleet.

Under the five-year agreement, Honeywell will provide its 131-9A APU. The units will be installed on Sichuan Airline’s 93 new A320 aircraft, which are slated to enter service by 2025.

The airline will also replace the APUs on its 141 existing A320 aircraft with the same APU.

Sichuan Airlines executive vice-president Li Yue said: “We are pleased to collaborate with Honeywell. We hope that the outstanding performance of its legendary APUs will help us improve operational efficiency.

“With the aviation industry being significantly impacted by Covid-19, reliable and innovative products and solutions are highly demanded for airlines’ recovery and future development. We look forward to working with our partners for the bright future of the industry.”

For Honeywell, this is the largest APU retrofit contract.

An APU provides electrical power and supplies an air source before a pilot is ready to start the main engines.

According to Honeywell, the solution will enhance the customer experience for Sichuan Airlines by reducing flight delays and cancellations.

In addition to its reliability, the 131-9A offers decreased maintenance costs during its entire lifecycle.

Honeywell Aerospace Asia Pacific president Steven Lien said: “It is a great pleasure to collaborate with Sichuan Airlines, which sets a significant milestone in enhancing our partnership with airline customers in China.

“Honeywell is committed to supporting this market, providing customers with exceptional solutions and equipping local support teams to help them create value and improve efficiency.”

In 2017, Honeywell signed a contract worth more than $100m with VietJet Air to provide 98 131-9A APUs for the airliner’s new fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft.