01 March 2005

The new state-of-the-art V2500 engine facility operated by the Christchurch Engine Center, an Air New Zealand and Pratt & Whitney joint venture, was officially opened at a function in Christchurch on December 2, 2004.

Pratt & Whitney spokesman Kurt Snyder noted the merits of the Christchurch-based operation. “ Christchurch offers a highly skilled workforce, low business costs, an English speaking environment in the Asia Pacific region and a good education system. Added to this, we are able to enjoy an open economy with a supportive central and local government.”

Pratt & Whitney Senior Vice President and General Manager (Aftermarket) Jim Keenan said the facility’s core capability of overhauling V2500 engines that power aircraft around the world will be marketed to other airline operators, in particular those within the Asia Pacific region.

"The establishment of the V2500 operation should secure the Center's future. We intend to grow the V2500 business as we have done with the JT8D engine overhaul work which we used to do largely from our facility in Columbus, Georgia," said Mr Keenan, who also serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors for both Christchurch Engine Centre Joint Ventures.

Originally an Air New Zealand maintenance facility, the Christchurch Engine Center was established as a joint venture between Pratt & Whitney and Air New Zealand in April 2001 and is governed by a separate Board with representatives from both companies.

The V2500 project was initiated by the joint venture company following Air New Zealand's selection of International Aero Engine (IAE) V2500 to power its new Airbus A320 aircraft.

New Zealand has world class aviation engineering, air traffic management, information technology capability and location attributes that offer a platform for exploiting global business opportunities.

SPACE is an initiative led by Investment New Zealand in partnership with the Canterbury Development Corporation to exploit such opportunities by building on New Zealand’s reputation in this area, and the breadth of relationships with international partners. Currently, projects are in development under the SPACE banner that build on the sophisticated aviation infrastructure in Christchurch and combine these with specialists in allied fields.

Investment New Zealand has played an ongoing facilitation role in the development of Pratt & Whitney’s New Zealand investment and its program for the V2500 facility.

For more information:
www.pwnz.com