AIRLINK extends TOTALCARE® agreement with Rolls-Royce’s ahead of September19 service launch to Entebbe

September 11, 2021 in Business, Companies, Transport, Travel & Tourism by Editor

SA Airlink has not indicated the aircraft it will deploy against Uganda Airlines mint-new CRJ-900 n the Ebbe-Jo’burg sector

South African regional carrier Airlink, and aircraft propulsion systems maker Rolls-Royce have signed a TotalCare® service agreement for the AE3007 engines that power the South African airline’s fleet of Embraer ERJ135 aircraft. The agreement, which covers 28 aircraft, is an extension of service for a further 10 years.

SA Airlink will launch a tri-weekly service to Entebbe starting September 19, taking up the space vacated by troubles South African Airways in 2020.

“Airlink and Rolls-Royce have worked hand in hand since the introduction of the ERJ135 to our fleet in May 2001. We operate 28 ERJs with a pool of 64 AE3007-A1/3 engines. We are proud of the phenomenal reliability we have achieved from these engines which have underpinned Airlink’s industry leading on-time performance, which has consistently been above 97pc,” said Airlink CEO, Rodger Foster

Airlink carried more than 2 million passengers on more than 63,000 flights in 2019. Following the disruption brought by Covid-19, the airline has rationalized its route network to just over 45 destinations in 12 African countries.

TotalCare is an integrated engine service cover provided by Rolls-Royce. It is designed for predictive maintenance planning, as well as off-wing repair and overhaul activities for operators of Rolls-Royce aero engines. TotalCare transfers both time-on-wing and maintenance cost risks back to Rolls-Royce, as well as offering advanced engine health monitoring and future product enhancements.

Aircraft covered by TotalCare achieve higher availability, increased long-term residual values, and benefit from the global Rolls-Royce Care Network; a large, capable and competitive engine service network that caters for the needs of engines at every point in their lifecycle.

“Our partnership with Airlink goes back to 2001 and this TotalCare extension is a testament to our strong working relationship and mutual trust of one another,” said Stewart Evans, Rolls-Royce, Vice President, Customers Europe Middle East & Africa.