The Airline Logistics Support organization of Boeing Commercial Airplane Group continuously seeks to offer greater convenience, efficiency and cost savings in aircraft maintenance. Already the industry leader in spare-parts services, including the first to offer next-day shipments on routine orders and first with a direct delivery service integrated into the ordering process, Airline Logistics Support delivers still more value through these new offerings:

Spares Exchange Program -- To help airlines reduce the cost of maintaining line replaceable units (LRU), the new Spares Exchange Program offers a ready supply of more than 300 dispatch-critical avionic and nonavionic units. Program participants need hold only a minimum number of these high-value parts in their own inventory because Boeing will ship a replacement for a unit that needs servicing within one day of receiving an order. In exchange, the removed LRU is shipped to Boeing for test, repair and overhaul to standards set by the original manufacturer. The part receives full certification and is ready for service again. Program participants realize substantial savings in inventory holding costs while eliminating lengthy LRU repair times. A flat-rate price covers a 10-year term, simplifying airline budget planning. Program startup is planned for October 1997 to support the first Next-Generation 737s.

Portable Maintenance Aid -- The Portable Maintenance Aid (PMA) is a digital database containing Boeing maintenance manuals, fault isolation manual, illustrated parts catalog and other documents, plus retrieval software. It is formatted especially for line mechanics as an aid in troubleshooting aircraft right in the gate environment. Loaded into a laptop computer, the PMA is a far more efficient means of retrieving maintenance information than searching through paper or microfilm documents usually located a considerable distance from the airplane. The PMA also may be used in a desktop computer or network in an office environment. Boeing currently is offering PMAs for 777s, 747-400s, and Next-Generation 737s and will offer versions for other Boeing models later this year.

Boeing PART Page -- Boeing customers can take advantage of the economy and efficiency of the World Wide Web to order spare parts through the Boeing PART Page. First of its kind, this new Web site simplifies the ordering process, reduces paperwork and errors, and instantly gives order and shipping status as well as data on price, inventory and part interchangeability. The Boeing PART Page allows preregistered users to access the Boeing spares inventory database through a standard Internet connection. This intuitive, fully interactive service lets customers "pull" information at their option, reducing the need for hard copies of airbills and other documents. During the first six months of operation, more than 200 customers have started using the Web site, which processes about 1,700 transactions daily.