Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 24, 2021 8:54:33 GMT 12
Paint peeling on wings of Air New Zealand's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners
John Anthony
13:54, Dec 23 2021
Air New Zealand says it has experienced some issues with paint peeling on the wings of its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.
An Air New Zealand spokeswoman said the airline had been working with Boeing to resolve the issue.
“Boeing is working to provide both an immediate as well as longer term solution,” she said.
The paint issues did not present a safety concern, nor did they impact the structure or integrity of the aircraft, she said.
It was a matter impacting the global fleet of 787s, she said.
She would not say how of the airline’s 14 Dreamliners were affected or how long was it expected to take to resolve the issue.
The aircraft continued to fly and were playing a key role in connecting New Zealand exports to the world during Covid-19, she said.
LAWRENCE SMITH/STUFF
Air New Zealand took deliver of its first Boeing 787-9 in 2014.
It’s not the first time Air New Zealand’s Dreamliners have been impacted by a global issue affecting the aircraft type.
Between 2017 and 2020 Air New Zealand Dreamliners had to be sent away to be serviced due to problems with Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines fitted to the aircraft.
During that period Air New Zealand had to ground as many as five 787-9s at any one time and operated lease aircraft to minimise the impact on customers.
Should Air New Zealand Dreamliners be grounded again there are aircraft the airline can call on to meet any operational capacity.
In 2020 Air New Zealand, like many airlines, put surplus aircraft into storage when the Covid-19 pandemic caused a collapse of the aviation industry.
JOHN ANTHONY/STUFF
Air New Zealand 777-300 hibernating at Auckland Airport.
For Air New Zealand, that meant sending four Boeing 777-300ERs to storage in the US and storing three in Auckland. It also retired its fleet of Boeing 777-200ERs early.
The spokeswoman said the aircraft in Auckland continued to be actively managed to a low utilisation maintenance program.
“The aircraft have been kept in New Zealand for ease of availability for a potential return to service when required.
“Regarding a return to operation, no decision has been made pending operational requirements for the fleet.
Capa – Centre for Aviation chairman Peter Harbison said if the paint issue was going to cause aircraft to be grounded it was a problem - and more of a problem if there was not a quick fix, which there did not seem to be at present.
Airlines which grounded aircraft because of Covid-19 were bringing their 787s back into service first because they were the most effective aircraft for medium and long haul flights, he said.
They're relatively small and fuel efficient - which also meant they had lower emissions, he said.
“Quite often the aircraft which remain grounded are there because they don't meet those criteria, so they're definitely second choices.”
www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/127369659/paint-peeling-on-wings-of-air-new-zealands-boeing-7879-dreamliners
John Anthony
13:54, Dec 23 2021
Air New Zealand says it has experienced some issues with paint peeling on the wings of its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.
An Air New Zealand spokeswoman said the airline had been working with Boeing to resolve the issue.
“Boeing is working to provide both an immediate as well as longer term solution,” she said.
The paint issues did not present a safety concern, nor did they impact the structure or integrity of the aircraft, she said.
It was a matter impacting the global fleet of 787s, she said.
She would not say how of the airline’s 14 Dreamliners were affected or how long was it expected to take to resolve the issue.
The aircraft continued to fly and were playing a key role in connecting New Zealand exports to the world during Covid-19, she said.
LAWRENCE SMITH/STUFF
Air New Zealand took deliver of its first Boeing 787-9 in 2014.
It’s not the first time Air New Zealand’s Dreamliners have been impacted by a global issue affecting the aircraft type.
Between 2017 and 2020 Air New Zealand Dreamliners had to be sent away to be serviced due to problems with Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines fitted to the aircraft.
During that period Air New Zealand had to ground as many as five 787-9s at any one time and operated lease aircraft to minimise the impact on customers.
Should Air New Zealand Dreamliners be grounded again there are aircraft the airline can call on to meet any operational capacity.
In 2020 Air New Zealand, like many airlines, put surplus aircraft into storage when the Covid-19 pandemic caused a collapse of the aviation industry.
JOHN ANTHONY/STUFF
Air New Zealand 777-300 hibernating at Auckland Airport.
For Air New Zealand, that meant sending four Boeing 777-300ERs to storage in the US and storing three in Auckland. It also retired its fleet of Boeing 777-200ERs early.
The spokeswoman said the aircraft in Auckland continued to be actively managed to a low utilisation maintenance program.
“The aircraft have been kept in New Zealand for ease of availability for a potential return to service when required.
“Regarding a return to operation, no decision has been made pending operational requirements for the fleet.
Capa – Centre for Aviation chairman Peter Harbison said if the paint issue was going to cause aircraft to be grounded it was a problem - and more of a problem if there was not a quick fix, which there did not seem to be at present.
Airlines which grounded aircraft because of Covid-19 were bringing their 787s back into service first because they were the most effective aircraft for medium and long haul flights, he said.
They're relatively small and fuel efficient - which also meant they had lower emissions, he said.
“Quite often the aircraft which remain grounded are there because they don't meet those criteria, so they're definitely second choices.”
www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/127369659/paint-peeling-on-wings-of-air-new-zealands-boeing-7879-dreamliners
