Pratt & Whitney, an aerospace manufacturer and a business unit of RTX, has inaugurated a 48,000 square-foot expansion at its Eagle Services Asia (ESA) engine centre located in Singapore. This development is set to enhance the facility’s capacity to service GTF engines by two-thirds within the year, marking a significant increase in the company’s ability to support its global customer base.
The expansion underscores Pratt & Whitney’s ongoing investment in its facilities worldwide, aimed at bolstering industrial capacity and delivering enhanced services to clients. “This expansion demonstrates our commitment to building industrial capacity by continuing to invest in our strategic sites around the world to support our customers,” said Shang Meleschi, vice president of Aftermarket Operations – Asia Pacific and Türkiye at Pratt & Whitney. He elaborated that the initiative involves amalgamating talent, technology, and innovative practices to uplift maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) performance for the GTF engine fleet.
A key feature of the boost in operations is the incorporation of radical technological advancements across ESA’s facilities. These include implementing robotics, automation, and machine learning to streamline efficiency, alleviate the workload on machine operators, and augment safety across crucial MRO procedures. Innovations at the site span fully automated high-pressure compressor rotor stacking, a Receive-in-Check Cobot facilitating human inspectors, and a robotic arm dedicated to the installation and removal of HPC bearing sleeves.
ESA, a collaborative venture between SIA Engineering Company and Pratt & Whitney, plays an integral role in the Pratt & Whitney GTF™ MRO network. Since the introduction of its GTF MRO capabilities in 2019, the center has successfully completed overhauls for more than 500 GTF engines.
Looking ahead, Pratt & Whitney revealed its strategic plan for expanding its GTF MRO network, having announced three facility expansions and six shop activations in 2023 to cater to the increasing demand within the GTF fleet. Presently, there are 15 active GTF MRO centres globally, with seven situated in the Asia Pacific, including locations in Singapore, Korea, Japan, China, and Taiwan. By 2025, Pratt & Whitney aims to operate 19 active GTF MRO shops worldwide, as part of its EngineWise® solutions that offer comprehensive aftermarket services to operators for sustained value. For more details, interested parties are encouraged to visit the Pratt & Whitney website.
