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Royal New Zealand Airforce - Seasprite and Boeing 757 MRO Lessons Learnt Review
Strengthening fleet availability, governance and long-term sustainment across aviation assets valued at more than $1 billion.
The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) sought to improve the availability and operational readiness of its Seasprite helicopters and Boeing 757 aircraft, which were experiencing maintenance-related performance challenges.
RNZAF required an independent, evidence-based view of the governance, planning, investment, and organisational issues affecting fleet availability, as well as clear, immediate actions and longer-term recommendations to strengthen sustainment, manage risk, and improve the value from aviation assets worth more than $1 billion.
How Height helped
Height designed and facilitated an independent review of the end-to-end MRO delivery model. We analysed documents and performance data, conducted targeted interviews, and facilitated workshops with stakeholders across operations, engineering, logistics, maintenance, procurement and command.
The review examined the root causes of aircraft availability challenges across maintenance and spares planning; fleet sustainment and obsolescence; governance, accountability and decision rights; budgeting, funding and investment prioritisation; operational decision-making; organisational structures and communication; workforce capability; supplier, procurement and OEM arrangements; and risk management.
We assessed whether leaders and governance groups had the information, authority, accountability and financial visibility needed to make effective sustainment decisions. This included testing whether OPEX and CAPEX decisions were fragmented, whether whole-of-life costs and obsolescence risks were visible, and whether ownership of aircraft availability issues was clear.
Findings were validated through document review, data analysis, interviews and workshops to ensure they were evidence-based, balanced and defensible.
Results
Height identified fleet performance improvement opportunities and translated the review findings into a practical program to strengthen fleet performance across governance and ownership. We recommended establishing a single governance board, dedicated fleet leadership, and defined decision rights, supporting clear ownership of availability outcomes.
Our recommendations also linked OPEX and CAPEX under consolidated budget and investment oversight, providing whole-of-life cost visibility, and enhancing spares and maintenance forecasting. Defined escalation pathways and structured supplier and OEM management complete a roadmap built to support fleet readiness.
The reviews gave RNZAF leadership an independent, prioritised roadmap: a defensible basis for strengthening investment decisions, operational readiness, accountability, and the long-term performance of two safety-critical aviation fleets.
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