For the first time since the global Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine shortage impacted aircraft availability, Air New Zealand now has no widebody aircraft in storage. At the peak of the engine shortage, the airline had five of its fourteen Boeing 787-9 aircraft grounded.
Air New Zealand GM Fleet Baden Smith says the milestone is one step closer to having the full Dreamliner fleet operational.
“With the completion of our retrofit programme and the delivery of our two new Boeing 787-9 aircraft by the end of this year, we’ll see targeted growth in widebody capacity over the next two years.
“This additional capacity opens up opportunities across our network, including our recently announced services between Christchurch and Singapore, Tokyo and Perth.
“As the country’s national airline our focus isn’t just growth; it’s building a resilient, future-fit airline that keeps New Zealand connected to the world. Every aircraft we return to the fleet strengthens our ability to connect people, support trade and grow tourism.”
For Air New Zealand Fleet Project Lead Robert Cox, the milestone reflects the success of a complex and coordinated programme of work.
“The challenge wasn’t just finding somewhere to store the aircraft. We needed to keep them maintained, protect the condition of the fleet and keep the engine overhaul programme moving so we could get these aircraft back into service for our customers as soon as possible.
“Long-term aircraft parking is limited in Auckland and New Zealand’s climate isn’t ideal for extended aircraft storage, so Alice Springs became the preferred location for the grounded Dreamliners.”
Air New Zealand worked with partners to carry out Trent 1000 engine changes in Alice Springs, allowing engines to be removed and sent for overhaul while the aircraft remained safely in storage.
“Carrying out engine changes in Alice Springs was a significant logistical challenge, but it helped us get engines into the shop at least six months earlier than if they had remained on the aircraft,” says Cox.
Air New Zealand’s narrowbody fleet is also nearly back in full service, with just two Airbus A320neo aircraft currently grounded due to challenges with the Pratt & Whitney engines, down from six at the peak of the disruption.
