The Christchurch Engine Centre, a joint venture between Pratt & Whitney and Air New Zealand is celebrating its 20th anniversary this week. The facility employs approximately 350 and is one of the world’s best-in-class MRO centers for the V2500® engine.
On Friday (April 30, 2021), Pratt & Whitney announced the 20th anniversary celebration of the Christchurch Engine Centre, a joint venture between Pratt & Whitney and Air New Zealand. The Christchurch Engine Centre employs approximately 350 and is one of the world’s best-in-class centers performing maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) work on Pratt & Whitney’s V2500® engines.
The V2500 engine is offered through IAE International Aero Engines AG, a multi-national consortium including Pratt & Whitney, Pratt & Whitney Aero Engines International GmbH, Japanese Aero Engines Corporation and MTU Aero Engines. The engine is the global choice for the efficient operation of Airbus A320ceos, including Air New Zealand. To date, V2500 engines have powered over 60 million flights, accumulating more than 240 million flight hours.
At the milestone celebration, Christchurch Engine Centre’s General Manager, Graham Jack, said,
“We operate in a very competitive global marketplace, but thanks to the integrity, hard work and quality of service delivered by our employees, past and present, we’re able to put Christchurch on the map and attract business from all over the world. I’ve been with this company for 25 years and still look forward to coming to work and working alongside some incredibly talented people.”
“2020 was a difficult year. It has not been easy for anyone. We continue to experience reduced commercial business as a result of this global pandemic, but things seem to be improving: The travel bubble between New Zealand and Australia is now established, and our customers are slowly returning to the skies. There’s still a long way to go but thanks to our amazing people, excellent customer relationships, the strength of the partnership between Pratt & Whitney and Air New Zealand, and most importantly the quality of our work, we will ensure we continue to go beyond for many years to come.”
Also sharing a message via video, Air New Zealand’s CEO, Greg Foran, said,
“Air New Zealand has enjoyed a long history with Pratt & Whitney. Their engines have supported our airline fleet from our early years to our current V2500-powered A320 fleet today. The joint venture has enjoyed many successful developments to make it the world-class business it is today. Most of all, I want to recognize the efforts of staff and management over the past 20 years who have contributed to make this joint venture so successful. Air New Zealand looks forward to working with Pratt & Whitney to continue to develop this business.”
Air New Zealand’s association with the Christchurch Engine Centre dates to 1953, when National Airways Corporation transferred their maintenance and engineering base from Palmerston North to Christchurch. Pratt & Whitney’s association with Christchurch dates to 1948 when the company’s radial R1830, R1340 and R985 engines were serviced at the Harewood site. Since 2005, the facility has overhauled 1,000 V2500 engines.
Further commenting on the occasion, Christchurch Engine Centre Quality Assurance Systems and Audit Engineer, Geoff Winter, said,
“I’ve been in my current role 14 years now and with the company longer than that. I’ve had so many opportunities come my way, which keeps things challenging and fresh. It’s been fantastic to see the company grow, see it develop and diversify. The best thing about it though is the local team, there’s a lot of great people who work here. All with ideas, innovations and challenges that change your thinking and lead us to continuously innovate. I’m very proud of the work we do here in Christchurch. Long may it continue.”
Finally, in a recorded message to the Christchurch team, Pratt & Whitney’s Vice President – Global Aftermarket Operations, Joseph Sylvestro, added,
“Your dedication, hard work and drive to support our customers has propelled Christchurch to become one of the world’s top engine overhaul centers. We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts and offer congratulations on your 20 years of continued success and world-class customer service. At Pratt & Whitney, our culture prioritizes continuous learning, personal growth, diversity and exploration, and you help to consistently demonstrate these traits. Thank you for all that you do.”
A division of Raytheon Technologies Corporation (NYSE: RTX), Pratt & Whitney is a global leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft and helicopter engines and auxiliary power units (APUs) for commercial, military, regional, business and general aviation aircraft. Pratt & Whitney is known for their innovative technologies such as the Geared Turbofan (GTF) commercial aircraft engine and the PW800 business jet engine. In 2020, the company celebrated their 95th year in business.
Source: Pratt & Whitney
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