Boeing

Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Kenya Airways today said the airline is the sixth customer of the Component Services Program offered jointly by Boeing and Air France Industries, which provides fast access to critical components and repairs for the airline's Boeing 777 airplane and can significantly reduce operating costs.

Kenya Airways is the first African airline in this 777 program and also participates in a similar program for its Boeing 737-700 airplane, the Component Exchange Program. Kenya Airways took delivery of its first of three 777s in May.

"The Component Services Program is a great complement to our new 777-200ER (Extended Range)," said Titus Naikuni, Kenya Airways' managing director and chief executive. "Working with Boeing we have the right resources to ensure that we are performing with the highest dispatch reliability and lower maintenance."

"This program simplifies Kenya Airways' operational processes, lowers its investment cost and repair cost, and will improve its reliability," said Marty Bentrott, vice president of services, sales and marketing for Boeing Commercial Aviation Services." Keeping customers profitable and creating value for their shareholders and customers is very important to us."

Through the program Kenya Airways has access to a dedicated pool of components available to ship within 24 hours. That makes it possible for the airline to remove a faulty unit and replace it with a serviceable one quickly and easily. Boeing and Air France Industries jointly manage the repair, modification and administration of these components.

The program will reduce Kenya Airways' inventory of components such as avionics boxes and precision mechanical assemblies, which can cost millions of dollars to keep on hand. Savings from the program can equal 30 percent of an airline's component repair and inventory costs.