Air New Zealand and Hamilton Sundstrand Join to Establish Repair Capability for the APS3200 Auxiliary Power Unit

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, April 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Air New Zealand and Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation have agreed to establish repair capability for the APS3200 Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) in the Christchurch maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in New Zealand under an authorized repair facility agreement with Hamilton Sundstrand, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).

Last year, Air New Zealand selected the Hamilton Sundstrand Power Systems APS3200 APU for its new fleet of 14 Airbus A320 aircraft.  The combination of this order and existing aircraft will increase the Air New Zealand A320 fleet to 26 aircraft.  

The APS3200 APU is currently installed on a fleet of 1,650 Airbus A320 aircraft around the world and has accumulated more than 23 million hours since entering service on the Airbus A320 family of aircraft.  

"We are extremely pleased to retain Air New Zealand as a valued customer and to have the opportunity to expand our business relationship with Air New Zealand, establishing repair capability for the APS3200," said Danny Di Perna, Hamilton Sundstrand Power Systems, vice president and general manager.  "The APS3200 has a long reputation of low technical risk, proven reliability and exceptional customer support on the existing fleet of A320 aircraft."

Air New Zealand is an international and domestic airline group that operates air passenger and cargo transport services within New Zealand, Australia, the South West Pacific, Asia, North America and the United Kingdom.  Air New Zealand will successively introduce 14 Airbus A320 aircraft to its fleet with the initial deliveries starting in 2011.  The aircraft will be operated on Air New Zealand's domestic, Tasman, and South West Pacific routes to support a strategic change in the service offered by the airline to its short-haul international customers.  The new A320 fleet will be operated to ETOPS 120 standard.  

Hamilton Sundstrand Power Systems, based in San Diego, Calif., currently has more than 13,000 APUs in commercial and military service.  

With 2010 sales of $5.6 billion, Hamilton Sundstrand is headquartered in Windsor Locks, Conn.  Among the world's largest suppliers of technologically advanced aerospace and industrial products, the company designs, manufactures and services aerospace systems and provides integrated system solutions for commercial, regional, corporate and military aircraft.  It also is a major supplier for international space programs.  

United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries worldwide.

SOURCE Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation