Boeing

Boeing Airplane Services and BFGoodrich Aerospace Aviation Services announced today that they have signed a Letter of Intent to develop a Landing Gear Overhaul alliance for Boeing commercial airplanes equipped with BFGoodrich landing gear.

The alliance program would combine both companies' financial and technical strengths to offer customers cost-effective overhaul and repair support for various commercial airplane landing gears. It would bring to market a wide range of landing gear overhaul solutions that currently are not available. The Boeing 777 airplane would be used as a prototype for the first offering under this program.

Under the deal, Boeing Airplane Services and BFGoodrich would offer customers a "rotable program," enabling customers to exchange unserviceable or time-expired landing gears for overhauled or restored landing gears from a pool controlled by Boeing and BFGoodrich. After being placed in the pool, the customer's landing gear would undergo necessary repairs and then be placed back in the pool for other customer exchanges.

The deal would also provide customers with in-service engineering support, lease arrangements, a flight-cycle payment structure, and all spare parts used in repair and overhaul activities. BFGoodrich would oversee the program's day-to-day operations, while Boeing Airplane Services would provide program oversight. Additionally, landing gear overhaul and exchange facilities would be available to customers on a global basis.

"This is another innovative step to provide our customers with total service solutions," said Joe Gullion, president of Boeing Airplane Services. "With BFGoodrich as our partner, we're set to meet our customers' individual landing gear maintenance and overhaul requirements." David Watson, president of BFGoodrich Aerospace's Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul and Landing & Safety Systems Groups added, "BFGoodrich is proud to team with Boeing to enhance our worldwide support of airline operators, leasing companies and individual aircraft owners. Working together, we will bring even greater value to the total landing gear repair and overhaul market through our OEM quality workmanship, along with full technical and AOG support."

Boeing Airplane Services and BFGoodrich will continue to conduct negotiations in an effort to reach a formal agreement on the program. Financial details were not disclosed.

Boeing Airplane Services offers engineering retrofit packages, avionics upgrades, passenger-to-freighter conversions, interior reconfigurations, recovery and repair services, and airplane performance improvements for all Boeing commercial airplanes. In addition, Boeing Airplane Services has the most comprehensive spare parts distribution system in the industry, with a worldwide network of distribution and service centers. It also provides technical consulting and general contracting support for passenger and cargo airlines.

Boeing Airplane Services is part of the Boeing Commercial Aviation Services organization, which offers the aviation industry's broadest array of support resources. There are more than 11,000 Boeing airplanes in operation today around the world.

BFGoodrich Aerospace became the world's largest manufacturer of landing gear in July of 1999 after completing its merger with Coltec Industries, the former parent company of Menasco Aerospace. Work for this program will be accomplished in a network of repair and overhaul operations located in Burlington, Ontario; Miami, Florida; London, and South East Asia.

BFGoodrich is a Fortune 300 company with leading business positions in advanced aerospace systems, performance materials, and engineered industrial products. With sales approaching $4 billion, BFGoodrich Aerospace is one of the world's leading suppliers of components and systems. BFGoodrich has its headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, and employs 27,000 people worldwide.

For more information, please visit the companies' websites at www.bfgoodrich.com and www.boeing.com/commercial/aviationservices/.