Air NZ engineers in bid for Navy contract

By CHRIS DANIELS, aviation writer

Air New Zealand engineers may be fixing Navy ships as well as jet aircraft, if an Australian bid to run the Devonport naval dockyard is successful.

Babcock New Zealand's 10-year contract to run the naval base is due to expire in July next year and Air NZ's engineering division has joined forces with an Australian defence logistics company to put together a bid for the $15 million-$20 million job.

Commander Paul Johnson, project manager for the dockyard management contract public tender, said Air NZ was originally on the shortlist of parties interested in taking over the whole contract.

Air NZ Engineering Services (ANZES) was one of the six shortlisted companies, but later pulled out after completing an inspection visit.

Since then, Australian company ADI (Australian Defence Industries) has put in its proposal, listing ANZES as one of its partners.

"Our strategic alliance with Air New Zealand Engineering Services will bring valuable local knowledge,"ADI said in its bid.

Johnson said the bid was not a joint venture between ADI and ANZES, but he could not go into any more detail.

The airline confirmed it was involved in a bid, but would not give details.

ANZES already services marine engines as part of its engineering business.

The contract involves up to 200,000 hours of work annually at the docks. The contractor does all the maintenance work for the Navy as its "preferred customer", but other commercial work can be done at the Devonport site.

Tenders received by last week's cut-off date came from ADI, Babcock and a joint venture between UK firm Vosper Thornycroft Integrated Logistics and New Plymouth engineering firm Fitzroy Engineering.