Will Service Fleet Of Over 200 Aging Planes
Boeing tells ANN it was recently awarded a 10-year, $1.1 billion
U.S. Air Force contract to continue providing programmed depot
maintenance (PDM) for the nation's KC-135 Stratotanker fleet.
Boeing will perform the work for more than 200 KC-135 aircraft at
facilities in Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri.
Since the initial KC-135 PDM contract award in October 1998,
Boeing has completed scheduled and unscheduled maintenance on more
than 160 aircraft. Conducted every five years, scheduled PDM
services include depot-level inspections, repairs, maintenance,
modifications, re-painting and supply chain services. Unscheduled
maintenance comprises about half of the work performed on each
aircraft.
"The availability of the KC-135 as a tanker asset is vital to
today's warfighters," said Pat Finneran, president of Boeing
Support Systems. "Always on time, the Boeing KC-135 PDM program has
a solid track record with proven results. Using Lean manufacturing
and employee involvement initiatives, we have reduced the number of
days the aircraft are out of service for maintenance by 19 percent,
cutting costs by 15 percent per aircraft. Leveraging 75 years of
tanker manufacturing and maintenance expertise, we can commit to a
low-risk, cost-effective solution that offers a potential bridge to
the KC-X."
KC-135 maintenance will continue to alternate between Tinker Air
Force Base in Oklahoma and Boeing's Support Systems site in San
Antonio, TX, a licensed Federal Aviation Administration repair
station and the company's largest maintenance and modification
center.
The Texas-based center can house 23 wide-body aircraft at a time
in its 1.6 million-square foot facility and is home to the world's
largest freestanding high-bay aircraft hangar. In addition, there
are 3.5 million square feet of aircraft ramp space, run-up areas,
parking pads and an 11,500-foot runway.
Flight-control repairs will continue to be performed by
Sabreliner in Missouri and completed by North American Aviation
Services (NAAS) in San Antonio. Sabreliner and NAAS are prime
subcontractors for the program.
"I'm proud that the Air
Force has continued to recognize Boeing's efforts on this project
by awarding such a great opportunity," said US Rep. Charles
Gonzalez, D-Texas. "I commend Boeing on their hard work throughout
this process, and I'm pleased that they'll continue to have a
strong presence in San Antonio. This investment in our city will be
a great addition to our already robust local economy, and I'm
grateful that both Boeing and the Air Force will continue to reap
the benefits of the flourishing business environment and talented
workforce that exists in San Antonio."
The Boeing KC-135 PDM program management office is based in
Oklahoma City, near Tinker Air Force Base. Approximately 300 Boeing
employees work on the KC-135 PDM program in San Antonio, while 80
Boeing employees in Oklahoma and 75 Boeing employees in Missouri
support the program. The company expects to hire about 200
additional employees in San Antonio as more aircraft arrive for
maintenance.
"I am pleased to learn that Boeing has been awarded this
contract, and I commend the Air Force for a sound decision," said
US Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. "Boeing has a proven track record of
performance and reliability in support of our KC-135 fleet, so it
was no surprise to hear that it had won the competition."