Boeing

Fourteen airlines signed to use Boeing's [NYSE: BA] Maintenance Performance Toolbox in the first half of this year. 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.

Since Japan Airlines became the launch customer for Toolbox in October 2005, a total of 38 carriers have signed to use the tool. Boeing was awarded a special "Breakthrough Technology Award" by Aviation Week magazine when Toolbox was introduced.

Through the first six months of 2007, these airlines have selected Toolbox: Aeroflot, Air China Southwest Branch, Air India, Air India Express, Emirates, Hainan Airlines, Royal Air Maroc, S7 Airlines (formerly Siberia Airlines), Southwest Airlines, transavia.com and Turkish Airlines. Three airlines are not identified.

"This positive reaction to the introduction of Maintenance Performance Toolbox is a sign that the airline industry will enthusiastically embrace a comprehensive software tool that's going to help improve efficiency and productivity, increasing value to passengers," said Dan da Silva, vice president of Sales and Marketing for Boeing Commercial Aviation Services. "Toolbox brings Boeing into a partnership with its customers that helps improve operations and, ultimately, profitability."

In all, Toolbox today comprises five different tools in one easy-to-use suite that can help airlines streamline a wide range of maintenance and repair activities from managing technical publications to troubleshooting problems to performing core maintenance and engineering tasks. Airlines are free to pick and choose from among the capabilities to supplement their operations as needed.

A new module, Training, will be introduced later this year. This form of just-in-time Training will help airline mechanics and technicians train for specific tasks when and if necessary.

Toolbox is a key element in Boeing's efforts to help airlines gather and use precise, practical and timely information through the application 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.