The auxiliary power units (APUs) on China Southern Airlines’ fleet of 20 A350 aircraft will receive technical support from Lufthansa Technik in an eight-year contract between the two firms.

The agreement means that Lufthansa Technik will provide MRO services for the Honeywell HGT1700 in the company’s specialised APU workshops in Hamburg, Germany.

Chosen as the maintenance partner by manufacturer Honeywell, Lufthansa Technik is the official warranty station and has been granted approval to perform MRO services on this APU type, which is exclusively built for the Airbus A350.

The new contract covers an extensive MRO service portfolio, including spare APU support and engineering services throughout the contract.

Furthermore, should the Guangzhou-based airline opt for additional A350s, the agreement would also cover them.

Wu Rongxin, executive vice president of China Southern Airlines, said: “As the largest airline in China, we want to guarantee our passengers the best operational conditions, and Lufthansa Technik has been instrumentally supporting us to achieve this goal.

“With a long history of collaboration spanning over more than a decade covering various products and services, we are confident in entrusting Lufthansa Technik with this long-term contract.

“We are pleased to extend our relationship with such a trustworthy partner.”

Dennis Kohr, senior vice president corporate sales Asia Pacific, said: “This new collaboration represents the next milestone between China Southern Airlines and Lufthansa Technik, and we take great pride in being selected as the official certified partner providing the APU services.

“Auxiliary power units are complex technical assets. Having previously delivered exceptional services on engines and components has given China Southern Airlines the assurance that they can also rely on us in this field.

“We are delighted to further deepen our partnership with this exclusive long-term contract.”

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