Pratt & Whitney Canada has signed a 14-year maintenance and support agreement with Lufthansa Airlines and Austrian Airlines, both subsidiaries of the Lufthansa Group.
The agreement covers 41 APS5000 auxiliary power units (APUs) across the two airlines' combined fleet of Boeing 787 aircraft.
Binoj Sebastian, senior director of technical procurement at Lufthansa Airlines, said his airline's growing 787 fleet is set to become the “backbone” of its long-haul operations.
"This long-term maintenance agreement underscores our confidence in the APS5000 APU and its manufacturer as the best partner to deliver consistent value to our daily operations,” he said.
“Their proven expertise and product performance will be instrumental in supporting the availability and efficiency of our Dreamliner fleet."
Pratt & Whitney describes the APS5000 as the quietest APU in its class, with the lowest emissions in the industry.
It produces 450kVA of electrical power at sea level and starts and operates up to 43,100 feet.
More than 1,400 APS5000 APUs have been manufactured, and the fleet has flown nearly 16 million hours.
Anthony Rossi, vice president of customer service at Pratt & Whitney Canada, said the APS5000 APU provides power to the aircraft when the main engines are shut down and ground power is unavailable.
Additionally, the APS5000 simultaneously powers twin electric starters for the main engines.