SEATTLE, Nov. 3, 2010 / — Boeing today announced the availability of a rotable exchange services program, that will support the operation of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. This program will help airline customers reduce inventory costs by providing access to a Boeing-managed inventory pool of parts that is available to ship within 24 hours of request.
“The 787 Rotables Exchange Services Program will provide a dedicated pool of high-value, dispatch-critical parts for airlines, while helping them to improve operations support and cash flow,” said Dale Wilkinson, vice president, Material Services for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “The program manages configuration, warranty and reliability for the covered parts, freeing the airline to focus on passengers and the operation of the airplane.”
The exchange program is available to support initial entry into service for 787 operators – this is the first time that such a program has been developed in conjunction with entry into service of a new fleet type.
With the Boeing 787 Rotable Exchange Program, the airline removes a part from the airplane and ships it for exchange with a new unit from Boeing’s exchange pool. Boeing plans to support up to 600 high-value rotable parts, including such items as the Auxiliary Power Unit and Variable Frequency Starter Generator. By providing coverage for parts typically priced in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, the exchange program can provide considerable inventory cost savings for airlines.
The program provides a flight-hour cost basis that enables the customer to better forecast maintenance costs, while spreading out high-cost expenditures for rotable parts over the 10-year term of the agreement.
United Airlines flight UA-118 had to divert and make an emergency landing in Austin, Texas, on April 11th.