Boeing

Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Southwest Airlines said the pioneering low-cost carrier will use Maintenance Performance Toolbox to streamline maintenance on its entire fleet of Classic 737s and Next-Generation 737s. Toolbox, which is rapidly becoming a must-have software package for efficiency-conscious carriers, represents the industry's first set of productivity tools designed to unify an airline's maintenance and engineering operations from start to finish.

Southwest will use Toolbox for the airline's entire fleet of 219 Classic 737s and 264 Next-Generation 737s.

"Southwest is one of the world's premier airlines, and an order of this magnitude encourages the entire industry to sit up and take notice," said Dan da Silva, vice president of Sales and Marketing for Boeing Commercial Aviation Services. "The most important benefit, however, is the fact that an airline as successful as Southwest has decided Maintenance Performance Toolbox will help drive its efficiency to a new level."

The airline will use three modules of Toolbox: Library, Authoring and Tasks. Library will help ensure that the airline has immediate access to timely, updated source maintenance data. Authoring allows Southwest to efficiently customize its maintenance information based on its own systems. And Tasks offers a way to develop, approve and manage task cards.

In all, Toolbox today comprises six different tools in one easy-to-use suite of software products that airlines can employ to tailor an efficient solution to their specific needs. Toolbox is a key element in Boeing's efforts to help airlines gather and use precise, practical and timely information through the use of multiple digital solutions. The products, which include Airplane Health Management and the Class 3 Electronic Flight Bag, are designed to integrate seamlessly to offer an effective response to airlines' maintenance needs.

Available via an Internet browser as a secured, hosted service, Toolbox provides reliable access to all of its tools through MyBoeingFleet.com, Boeing's Internet portal.

Boeing announced its first customer for Toolbox late in 2005. Today, less than 18 months later, the program has 30 customers, including four announced so far in 2007.