Air China and Air China Cargo boost Boeing health coverage

AIR China and Air China Cargo will expand use of Boeing's "Airplane Health Management" (AHM) system to monitor in-flight conditions aboard its 777 and 747-400 fleets.

The new agreement adds 42 in-service and on-order aircraft to a previous agreement to monitor 117 Air China 737s that are in service and on order. Air China is Boeing's first Chinese customer for AHM and the 33rd commercial customer overall.

Air China chief engineer Zhong Detao said the expansion of Boeing's Airplane Health Management will benefit passengers and cargo customers who count on Air China and Air China Cargo meeting schedules. "This will improve our entire operation," he said.

AHM captures and evaluates critical real-time in-flight flying data and relays it to maintenance controllers. That allows the airline to turn a potentially time-consuming and costly maintenance delay into a well-planned and more easily accomplished repair. Airlines are better able to meet flight schedules, benefiting the airline, passengers and other cargo customers.

The system helps airlines identify and respond to problems proactively while accessing a multiple operator knowledge base, so repair decisions are more reliable and the aircraft is more readily available for service.

Air China operates 10 Boeing 777-200s and 10 747-400s. Air China Cargo operates seven 747-400 freighters, including two Boeing Converted Freighters.

(Source: www.schednet.com)