Page 17 - AAA JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2018 Online Magazine

related to the engines. Greg 3rd quarter of 2017, including some engines which were allocated to
Hayes, Chairman and CEO, United the spares pool. These shipments matched the GTF engine output in
Technologies provided an update the first two quarters of 2017. Total GTF engine production for 2017 will
on GTF durability issues during be in line with the 350 to 400 engine target laid out by the company
an analyst call in November 2017 earlier this year. Pratt expects to double engine production numbers
saying, “Pratt remains on track to this year. As of January, more than 80 customers have ordered over
certify a combustor upgrade to 8,000 GTF engines.
incorporate into new engines here
in the fourth quarter.” Production MRO Preparations
engines began receiving upgraded ratt & Whitney is investing US$1.3 billion in upgrading and
hardware back in the second updating its manufacturing and service centres to meet the
quarter of 2017 to resolve the MRO demands for the GTF programme. Asia will be home to a
number three seal issue, following Plarge base of carriers that will fly GTF-powered A320neo jetlin-
which ongoing retrofits were com- ers and in June 2017, Eagle Services Asia (Pratt & Whitney Singapore
pleted out in the field. “While we’re Engine Center) was selected as the overhaul facility in Singapore for
still seeing some success with the PurePower PW1100G-JM engines. Pratt & Whitney expects modifi-
actions we’ve taken to date, we’re cations to the facility to start in 2018, and GTF engine disassembly,
also looking at design alterna- assembly and testing is slated to start in 2019. An Investment of US$85
tives that are expected to further million is being made to install an environment control system and an
improve durability in the engine. engine flow line system at the system. Other maintenance, repair and
We’ll continue to work closely overhaul (MRO) firms that will provide maintenance support to GTF
with our customers to support operators include: Pratt & Whitney, MTU Aero Engines, Japanese
their operations as future retro- Aero Engines Corporation (JAEC) and Lufthansa Technik (LHT). The
fits are completed,” he added. The complexity and investment put into new generation engines such as
latest GTF powered aircraft type
to enter commercial service in
2018 will be Embraer’s E190-E2,
which is due for entry into service
in April with Scandinavian regional
airline Widerøe.

Ramping up Production

or GTF operators, an
increased supply of spare
engines largely mitigated
Fthe issue of aircraft being
grounded. Pratt & Whitney’s deci-
sion to allocate more production
GTF engines towards spares to
support airline operators in the
field, is also likely to have won
it favour with airline operators. GTF also marks, the beginning of a shift for engine MRO from inde-
Following the decision made in pendent maintenance to MRO services within OEM service networks.
late September/early October, “To minimize the impact of these changes on our earnings, we are
Pratt & Whitney redirected a focusing on best-cost locations when expanding our MRO capacity.
number of spares to its airline The latest example is EME Aero, our joint venture with Lufthansa
customers to ensure that the Technik for the maintenance of Geared Turbofan engines, which will
airlines had enough assets to be based in Poland,” says Chief Program Officer Michael Schreyögg. In
keep their aircraft in the air. Pratt December 2017, Lufthansa Technik and MTU Aero Engines announced
shipped 120 GTF engines in the that the name off their joint venture for the maintenance, repair and
overhaul (MRO) of geared turbofan engines, as Engine Maintenance

ASIAN AIRLINES & AEROSPACE January/February 2018 | 17