Boeing announced July 16that Norwegian Air Shuttle, the third largest low-cost airline in Europe, has become the largest customer for the Boeing landing gear exchange program with a new service contract covering an additional 15 Next-Generation 737s.
Landing gear must be overhauled and recertified every 10 years, or after 18,000 cycles. Participants in the landing gear exchange program receive fully overhauled and certified landing gear shipsets during scheduled gear maintenance cycles, giving customers an alternative to the large capital investment of new landing gear. The new contract gives Norwegian Air Shuttle a service schedule that runs until 2027.
“The landing gear exchange program allows our airline customers to focus on what they do best, serving their airline passengers,” said Dale Wilkinson, vice president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes Material Services organization. “Providing engineering and inventory support for such a high-cost asset is one way we give our customers the Boeing Edge.”
Norwegian has undergone three landing gear exchanges with Boeing to date. This next exchange is scheduled for October 2013.
“After undergoing our first three landing gear exchanges, we are very pleased with the Boeing landing gear exchange program,” said Asgeir Nyseth, COO of Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA. “Boeing has played a major part in our strategy to develop a cost efficient and environmentally friendly operation with high customer satisfaction. Working with Boeing to coordinate our landing gear maintenance means our fleet spends more time with our customers, and less time on the ground.”
Boeing’s Material Services organization currently offers the service and support of the landing gear exchange program to 78 customers worldwide.
In January, Boeing and Norwegian announced an order for 100 fuel-efficient 737 MAX airplanes and 22 Next-Generation 737-800s, valued at $11.4 billion at list prices. This represents the largest-ever Boeing order from a European airline.
Norwegian also will initiate a low-cost, long-haul operation with Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which will be maintained under a GoldCare agreement signed with Boeing in March.
Carrying nearly 16 million passengers in 2011, Norwegian is the third-largest low-cost airline in Europe. Norwegian currently operates more than 300 routes across Europe into North Africa and the Middle East.
