Honeywell secures VietJet Air’s auxiliary power unit maintenance deal

In February, Honeywell signed an agreement with Garuda Indonesia to maintain the APUs for the airline’s new A320 fleet. In April, Honeywell also secured an agreement with SilkAir to maintain APUs for the airline’s new B737 fleet.

“Within the last six months, we have sealed three maintenance agreements in the Asia Pacific region. This shows the confidence that airlines in the region have in Honeywell’s APUs, which are well-known for their high reliability and improved fuel efficiency,” said Brian Davis, vice president, Asia Pacific, Airlines, Honeywell Aerospace. “Vietnam’s international market is the least untapped among all the key markets in Southeast Asia;  low-cost carriers currently account for only 13 per cent of international passenger seat capacity in Vietnam, and Honeywell is well-poised to strengthen its presence in the market through its partnership with fast-growing VietJet.”

Honeywell is also committed to providing VietJet with a total framework for business and technical support. With an established Honeywell APU facility based in Singapore since 1978, VietJet will gain full access and support for the maintenance of its APUs close to its home base. In addition, a customer core team will ensure operational efficiency for VietJet and provide support for the airline’s future growth.

“With long-standing reputation and good support services of Honeywell, VietJet and Honeywell decided to sign a long-term partnership agreement on providing technical, training and other supports for VietJet’s fleet and prepare for it’s long-run sustainable development,”said managing director Luu Duc Khanh of VietJet.

Honeywell’s APUs undergo stringent stress tests, one of which requires the APUs to start at 41,000 feet and -100°F, and results have been consistent with the delivery of high performance reliability and improved fuel efficiency. This will in turn allow VietJet to lower its total cost of ownership and increase overall efficiency.

In February this year, VietJet finalised a major order of up to 100 Airbus A320s to meet its future expansion plans. VietJet took to the skies in 2011 and is the first private airline in Vietnam to operate domestic and international flights. Today the airline operates the most modern and newest fleet in Vietnam and the region, including 16 leased A320s on a network covering 25 routes, including domestic destinations, Bangkok, Seoul and Kunming in China.

Honeywell APUs are found on the majority of aircraft worldwide and are available in 20 basic models and 41 variants. To date, Honeywell Aerospace has delivered more than 64,800 APUs, used in more than 150 applications, since 1952.

The APU provides primary or backup electrical power for environmental, cockpit and hydraulic systems during flight. In 2009, the Honeywell 131-9A APU played a critical role in the emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549 in New York’s Hudson River, ensuring the safety of 155 passengers onboard.

Last year, the 131-9 series APU became the second from Honeywell’s family of APUs to surpass 100 million hours in service across more than 7,500 narrow-body aircraft around the world, such as the Boeing 737, McDonnell Douglas MD-90, and Airbus A319, A320 and A321 models.