Air New Zealand Awards 10-Year Ground Support Equipment Maintenance Contract to AB Equipment and Blackhawk.io

Blackhawk, a leader in IoT and real-time digital transformation for remote and mobile assets, together with AB Equipment, one of New Zealand’s largest and most established equipment suppliers and service centers, have been awarded a 10-year contract to provide maintenance services and connected IoT solutions for Air New Zealand’s ground support equipment (GSE) fleet. The partnership will see the deployment of advanced IoT technology to monitor and maintain over 5,000 GSE assets across 25 airports in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands such as Niue, Rarotonga, Samoa and Tonga.

Enhanced Maintenance and Monitoring with Blackhawk IoT Solutions

Under this new contract, Air New Zealand’s extensive GSE fleet will be equipped with Blackhawk’s white-labelled service management platform, AB Telematics, enabling real-time tracking and proactive maintenance of all assets. “We are proud to be a partner with AB Equipment, Air New Zealand, and BNZ,” said Gottfried Pausch, Managing Director of Blackhawk. “Our platform allows AB Equipment to connect and monitor over 5,000 GSE assets, check availability and ensure proactive maintenance is completed on time based on actual equipment runtime. The system also provides controlled access and empowers GSE operators at Air New Zealand to easily locate equipment, perform pre-use inspections and raise service requests via their smartphones with a simple QR-tag scan. Automated business processes, enabled through smart digital forms, allow AB Equipment and Air New Zealand to automatically track when equipment is down for unplanned maintenance and monitor SLA compliance for time to resolution. This ensures all parties are informed in real-time and able to track performance and asset utilization, optimizing efficiency for flight operations.”

A Strategic Partnership for Long-Term Success

Peter Dudson, CEO of AB Equipment said, “We are pleased and proud to have been awarded this prestigious maintenance contract with Air New Zealand. The 10-year contract term allows us to invest in people, training, and resources to ensure we deliver a gold standard in service to Air New Zealand, keeping them and their passengers flying. We are also proud to partner with Blackhawk, whose connected services and operations are integral to meeting Air New Zealand’s Service Level Agreement and reporting requirements.”

Peter Dudson continues, “Air New Zealand has taken a significant step in its ongoing commitment to excellence by awarding this maintenance contract to AB Equipment, one of New Zealand’s most trusted service providers. This partnership underscores Air New Zealand’s rapid growth and continuous efforts to enhance service quality and operational efficiency. AB Equipment’s proven track record in maintenance excellence was a decisive factor in securing this contract. Leveraging Blackhawk’s advanced platform, which allows for preventative maintenance based on accurately metered machine hours, and when transitioning to an EV fleet, for real-time monitoring of battery charge levels and status, AB Equipment will deliver future-proofed services with unmatched reliability. This collaboration empowers Air New Zealand’s teams to meet their objectives of improving aircraft turnaround times while simultaneously reducing costs, ensuring that they continue to deliver top-tier service for their passengers.”

Financial Support from BNZ

Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) has provided financing for the IoT solution. Jacob Tyler, Head of FinTech Business at BNZ, says, “This partnership reflects BNZ’s commitment to fostering innovation that drives New Zealand’s industries forward. We’re proud to support technologies like this IoT solution, which has the potential to enhance the competitiveness of our aviation sector on the global stage. It’s exciting to see New Zealand companies leading the way in digital innovation.”

The partnership between Blackhawk and AB Equipment, is set to redefine GSE management and maintenance for Air New Zealand, leveraging cutting-edge IoT solutions to enhance operational efficiency and service quality for one of the nation’s most iconic brands.