SUMMIT AIR OF CANADA SIGNS JETSPARES CONTRACT WITH BAE SYSTEMS

Prestwick, Scotland…….Summit Air of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada has signed a two-year JetSpares rate-per-flying-hour (RPFH) spares contract with BAE Systems Regional Aircraft to support its newly acquired fleet of two 90-seat Avro RJ85 regional jetliners.

To support the growing market interest for the Avro RJ in Canada, BAE Systems Regional Aircraft has worked closely with Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) to obtain Canadian Type Certification for both the Avro RJ85 and the bigger RJ100.

Summit Air is the latest Canadian operator to acquire the Avro RJ, and following delivery of the first aircraft in September will commence FIFO (Fly-in; Fly-out) operations in partnership with First Air and Det’on Cho Logistics on behalf of Diavik Diamond Mine to airlift employees to and from Edmonton to the remote mine which is situated 300 kilometres north of Yellowknife and with air only year-round access.

JetSpares is a customised rotable spares support RPFH programme which is designed to allow an airline to concentrate on its flight operations while BAE Systems Regional Aircraft takes care of spares inventory, logistics and repairs. The priority is to keep the airline’s business running smoothly by providing a first-class support service.

JetSpares provides extensive rotable coverage with over 450 part numbers covered by the contract with Summit Air, including landing gear components windscreens and avionics. To assist the airline’s operational performance, BAE Systems will position an on-site rotable stock package at Edmonton as part of the JetSpares programme.

Sean McGovern, Business Director Support for BAE Systems Regional Aircraft said today: “Canada is a growing market for the Avro RJ and Summit Air is our first JetSpares customer in the country. This contract runs through to December 2016 initially, and thereafter we will be happy to negotiate contract extensions as Summit Air’s plans mature in respect of potential fleet growth.”

The addition of Summit Air to the JetSpares programme means that BAE Systems now has 168 aircraft covered on RPFH programmes with 11 customers. The business is currently working with its vendors to extend RPFH coverage out to at least 2018.