January 28, 2003 -- Evendale, Ohio - GE Engine Services (GEES) has been awarded a $230 million, 12-year maintenance agreement by Frontier Airlines (NASDAQ: FRNT) to maintain the carrier's CFM56-5B engines powering its fleet of owned and leased Airbus A318 and A319 aircraft.
Under terms of the agreement, GEES will perform engine maintenance in accordance with GE's Maintenance Cost Per Hoursm (MCPHsm) program. The program uses GE Engine Services' maintenance network, engineering resources, and program management expertise to maintain an individual customer's fleet based on a flat rate per engine flight hour, enabling the customer to forecast operating costs with greater accuracy.
"We are thrilled to expand our relationship with Frontier," said Dan Heintzelman, president and CEO of GEES. "Our customized service arrangement will enable the airline to predict maintenance costs, reduce financial risk and lower life-cycle costs."
"GE Engine Services customized an agreement that met our specific maintenance requirements," said Ron McClellan, vice president of maintenance and engineering for Frontier Airlines. "The MCPH agreement gives us both economic and operational benefits that will allow us to maximize aircraft utilization and minimize administrative burden."
Maintenance and restoration work will be conducted at GE's Strother Field facility near Arkansas City, Kansas USA.
Denver-based Frontier Airlines employs approximately 3,000 aviation professionals and is the second largest jet service carrier at Denver International Airport. Frontier and its regional jet partner Frontier JetExpress offer service to 39 cities. Frontier's fleet consists of 37 aircraft, which feature a single-class configuration. In 1999, 2000 and 2001, Frontier's maintenance and engineering department received the Federal Aviation Administration's highest award, the Diamond Certificate of Excellence, in recognition of 100 percent of its maintenance and engineering employees completing advanced aircraft maintenance training programs. Frontier provides capacity information and other operating statistics on its Web site, which may be viewed at www.frontierairlines.com.
GE Aircraft Engines, a division of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), is the world's leading manufacturer of jet engines for civil and military aircraft, including engines produced by CFM International, a 50/50 joint company of Snecma Moteurs of France and GE. GEAE also produces gas turbines, derived from its highly successful jet engine programs, for marine and industrial applications. In addition, GEAE provides comprehensive maintenance support through GEES for GE and non-GE jet engines in service throughout the world. Visit GEAE online at: http://www.geae.com.
Deb Case
GE Aviation
[email protected]
1-513-243-0094
1-859-380-8463