Thomson Airways selects Airline Services Components to provide wheels and brakes support on new Boeing 787s.

Friday 19th July 2013

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12-year support contract will cover Thomson Airways' 787 Dreamliner fleet.

Airline Services Components Limited (ASC) announced today its selection by Thomson Airways to provide maintenance support on the Messier-Bugatti-Dowty (MBD) wheel and electrically actuated brake equipment, installed on the airline's fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners. This agreement will initially cover all eight 787 Dreamliners Thomson Airways is set to receive.

Thomson Airways is the first UK airline to take delivery of the Dreamliner, which has been operating on short- and mid-haul routes since 21st June.  Long haul inaugural flights to Cancun and Florida started  on 8th July.   The 787 will be operating regular routes from Manchester, East Midlands, Gatwick and Glasgow Airports.  Thomson Airways' will receive its first four aircraft this summer and the next four up until May 2015.

ASC will support Thomson Airways under a minimum twelve year Cost Per Aircraft Landing (CAPL) pricing agreement which provides a fixed charge to cover initial provisioning, access to pool stock and the provision of Bridgestone tyres, along with logistics and repair management of the equipment. ASC will also locate consignment inventory in the UK and at operating bases in Brussels, Amsterdam and Stockholm. Through a tripartite agreement with Thomson and MBD, ASC will also manage the supply and replacement of carbon heat stacks and brake LRUs, thus providing Thomson with a total management solution for its wheel and brake equipment at a budgeted pricing structure.

The extended flying range of the Dreamliner opens up a host of new and exciting holiday options for Thomson customers, increasing the range of long haul destinations available with Thomson Airways. This winter Thomson will fly the Dreamliner direct to Phuket in Thailand and from summer 2014 it will be introducing holidays to Mauritius and Puerto Vallarta.

Chris Hooley, Managing Director of ASC, comments; "We are delighted to announce this agreement with Thomson Airways. We have worked closely with Thomson to provide a flexible and comprehensive support package which provides a guaranteed service at a fixed budgeted rate. ASC has a strong reputation for reliable W&B support across Boeing and Airbus platforms, and we are excited to extend our service offering to include the innovative new B787 Dreamliner. Through our longstanding relationship with Messier-Bugatti-Dowty and significant investment into B787 equipment, ASC are ideally positioned to support Thomson as they look to extend their long-haul fleet."

Jason Mahoney, Director of Engineering at Thomson Airways added "This agreement has been developed over the last five years to ensure Thomson Airways receives seamless support for our 787 Dreamliner entry into service and continued operation. ASC's flexibility and innovation to adapt to the requirements of its customers has given Thomson Airways the confidence to approve a 12 year term for the support of our 787 Dreamliner wheels and brakes. We look forward to a long and successful relationship with ASC."

ASC specialises in the supply and management of rotable components to the commercial aviation market, along with complete wheels and brakes support services. This contract is a crucial part of ASC's strategic expansion plans since attracting significant investment from private equity firm Lloyds Development Capital (LDC). ASC's growing international presence is underpinned by its dedication to high quality service delivery and operational flexibility, qualities that are valued by its customers.

Airline Services Components Limited

irline Services Components Limited (ASC) is part of the independently owned Airline Services Group, which has been trading for more than 25 years.

The organisation has five main divisions:

Rotable Component Support - through Airline Services Components (ASC), is based near London's GatwickAirport.  It specialisesin the supply and management of rotable components including Wheels and Brakes on the basis of exchange, loan, lease or sale agreements, as well as repair management and PBH /CPAL agreements.

Aircraft Interior Engineering and Workshop activities - EASA Part 145 repair and overhaul of seats, avionic, galley and IFE equipment, EASA Part 21 J and G Design and Manufacture.   The division also now incorporates  a dedicated aircraft component repair facility at London Stansted with an extensive capability covering a range of avionic, hydraulic, pneumatic, structures, safety equipment, generator and electrical accessory components.

IFE Products and Services - HD-ready, LCD screens, digital servers, management of IFE retro-fit programs, on-wing IFE support.

Aviation Textiles - design, development, manufacture, supply and fit of seat covers, curtains, and related accessories.

Ramp Operations - de-icing, interior and exterior cleaning, carpet fitting, presentation and laundry at 11 UK airports.

www.ascltd.com

Thomson Airways

Thomson Airways, the airline for Thomson and First Choice, is the UK's third largest airline and forms part of the TUI Travel PLC group.

With a fleet of 57 aircraft consisting of Boeing 737,757,767 and Airbus A320 and A321, it serves 22 UK airports, carrying over five million customers annually, serving  88 destinations in 30 countries. The airline was the first in the UK  to take delivery of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

TUI Travel PLC

Thomson Airways is part of TUI Travel PLC, one of the world's leading international leisure travel groups operating in approximately 180 countries worldwide. It serves more than 30 million customers in over 31 source markets. Headquartered in the UK, the Group employs approximately 54,000 people and operates a pan-European airline group consisting of 141 aircraft.

The Group is organised and managed through three business Sectors: Mainstream, Accommodation & Destinations and Specialist & Activity. In the financial year ended 30 September 2012, TUI Travel reported revenues of £14.5bn and an underlying operating profit of £490m.

TUI Travel is listed on the London Stock Exchange as a member of the FTSE 100 and FTSE4Good Indices.

www.tuitravelplc.com