JACKSONVILLE, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–At MRO Europe; Unison Industries signed a long-term material purchase agreement with Alaska Airlines for the purchase of its new Hi-Performance Igniter Plug for use on Alaska Airlines’ CFM56-7 powered fleet. Alaska Airlines currently has more than 160 Boeing 737 aircraft in service flying passengers to more than 115 destinations around the world.
Unison’s Hi-Performance Igniter enables Alaska Airlines to almost double the lifespan compared to (standard or legacy) igniters, extending time on wing. The all-new patented technology, which made its debut at the 2019 Paris Air Show, improves spark life under harsh conditions. During bench and field testing, the Hi-Performance Igniter succeeded in extreme temperatures up to 2,000°F. Alaska Airlines is Unison’s launch partner for the Hi-Performance Igniter.
Unison will support Alaska Airlines with available material on-hand which will help reduce annual maintenance costs by decreasing the number of replacements as a result of increased intervals. Unison has the only CFM56 OEM-approved igniter plug by CFM, and it is currently being installed on all new CFM56 engines after receiving FAA approval in 2018.
“This product is a prime example of Unison’s focus on continuous improvement for in-service fleets,” Unison Industries President Tom Hoferer said. “We are proud to partner with Alaska Airlines and work hand-in-hand with them while leveraging our strong partnership across the engine OEMs.”
“Alaska is excited to partner with Unison on the launch of this new igniter. Our teams worked closely together for many months to ensure the product would be safe and reliable for use on Alaska’s fleet. The opportunity to partner with Unison on this igniter exemplifies how Alaska and our partners work together to improve the safety, reliability and business of flying. We look forward to the increased reliability and decreased cost that this igniter brings to the airline,” said Todd Martin, Manager of Powerplant Engineering for Alaska Airlines.
CFM is a 50/50 joint venture between Safran Aircraft Engines and GE Aviation.