Boeing

SEATTLE, July 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Austrian Airlines today announced that the two companies have finalized an agreement to enhance maintenance efficiency on Austrian 777-200ERs, 767-300ERs and Next-Generation 737s with the Boeing Maintenance Performance Toolbox. Toolbox will allow the airline to improve its dispatch reliability through the use of e-enabled technologies.

Austrian Airlines' 737, 767 and 777 fleets will be equipped with two Toolbox modules – the Library and Authoring modules – which operate through MyBoeingFleet.com, Boeing's popular customer Internet portal.

"Our aim is to implement the latest available technology that enhances our productivity and fleet reliability. We are very excited to initiate Toolbox to improve the efficiency and quality in our maintenance processes," said Austrian Airlines Vice President Technical Dr. Burkard Wigger. "The enhancement of maintenance information accuracy and delivery to our maintenance team will provide benefits to our entire operation."

The Library module allows the airline to store and access current, consolidated manufacturer and customer maintenance data, as well as flight information. Included is information from multiple airplane manuals provided by Boeing, which can be linked to customer data and provide search and retrieval capability.

The Authoring module builds on the Library module by allowing the airline to edit and customize the Boeing maintenance information within Toolbox and add supplemental data.

"Austrian Airlines has made a strong commitment to efficiently manage its maintenance practices by arming its maintenance team with improved data," said Dennis Floyd, vice president of Fleet Services for Commercial Aviation Services, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "This is a great endorsement of Boeing as a solutions partner."

Austrian also will be able to access some Toolbox capabilities remotely, where conditions may not allow the maintenance team to access the online Toolbox, by hosting Toolbox data on airline-provided computer equipment.

Toolbox also will operate in concert with the Boeing Airplane Health Management (AHM) system, already in place on Austrian Airlines' 777 fleet. The AHM Real-Time module deployed by Austrian provides in-flight information to ground stations for diagnosis and real-time operational decisions to initiate any needed maintenance operations and deploy the necessary people, parts and equipment.

This advance notification provides a critical edge for Austrian Airlines on its long-range, international routes.

Toolbox is available via an Internet browser as a secured, hosted service.

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Contact:

Bob Saling
Boeing Commercial Aviation Services
+1 206-852-3327
bob.saling@boeing.com

Andrew Davis
Boeing Commercial Airplanes - London
+44 (0) 20 8235 5664
andrew.davis2@boeing.com

More information: http://www.boeing.com/commercial/maintenance/toolbox.html

SOURCE Boeing