From Paperwork to Real-Time Insights: Air New Zealand’s GSE Maintenance Transformation
When Blackhawk.io and AB Equipment were awarded the 10-year Ground Support Equipment (GSE) maintenance contract with Air New Zealand, the vision was clear: bring a new level of digital efficiency, transparency, and accountability to one of the world’s most trusted airlines. Just months into the rollout, the results speak for themselves.
A Connected Fleet, a Connected Team
Air New Zealand’s GSE fleet—spanning around 5,000 assets across its network—is now fully fitted with our unique smart QR codes. Of these, over 3,000 assets are connected with tracking devices and streaming data into the Blackhawk-powered AB Equipment Telematics platform.
This shift means every asset can be identified, tracked, and managed in real time, linking people, processes, and equipment into one cohesive system.
Rapid Adoption at Scale
Cultural transformation doesn’t happen overnight. But at Air New Zealand, adoption has been nothing short of remarkable:
- 10,650+ forms submitted in the last 90 days—an average of more than 110 per day.
- 1,200 breakdown and maintenance requests submitted by Air NZ staff in the last 90 days.
From safety checks to maintenance reports, what was once a paper trail is now a digital record: timestamped, geo-located, and enhanced with photos and metadata.
The result? Streamlining processes where information is accurate, auditable, and instantly available—no filing cabinets, no manual data entry, no delays.
Shifting the Culture of Maintenance
The obvious enthusiasm with which teams have embraced this new system highlights more than just good software—it demonstrates a genuine organizational cultural shift. Air New Zealand’s ground teams and AB Equipment’s technicians are no longer burdened by paperwork. Instead, they’re empowered by tools that make their jobs easier, faster, and more reliable.
This isn’t about replacing people. It’s about giving them the right digital processes to do their jobs better.
A Model for Other Industries
While the Air New Zealand rollout is a flagship project in GSE management and maintenance, the lessons are universal. Any organization managing a large, distributed fleet of assets—whether in construction, logistics, materials handling, agriculture, or infrastructure—faces the same challenges:
- Paperwork slows down decision-making.
- Compliance and safety records are vulnerable to human error.
- Managers lack real-time visibility into operations.
With Blackhawk.io, these challenges become opportunities. By converting manual forms and checklists into connected digital workflows, organizations can unlock higher productivity, better compliance, and stronger customer trust.
Tina Tian (COO) and Gottfried Pausch (Managing Director), with members of the AB Equipment team, learn more about some of Air NZ’s ground handling equipment and maintenance requirements
Gottfried, Tina and David – with AB Equipment at AKL Airport
The Journey Ahead
For Air New Zealand, the rollout is only the beginning. With a connected asset base and a proven culture of digital adoption, the airline now has a foundation for predictive maintenance, lifecycle management, and continuous operational improvement. For Blackhawk.io and NEEDME, it’s further proof that digital transformation is not just a technology upgrade—it’s a cultural revolution.
About Blackhawk.io – intelligent operations
Blackhawk.io connects people, equipment, and data to make operations smarter. We integrate and automate through IoT, AI, and digital workflows that are easy for people to use — turning digital transformation into real business performance. Our platforms improve maintenance, compliance, and collaboration across the entire equipment lifecycle. By combining human expertise with intelligent technology, we help teams work faster, make better decisions, and achieve more together.
