Pratt & Whitney Singapore Engine Center Celebrates 7,000th Engine Delivery

SINGAPORE, Dec. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Pratt & Whitney today announced its Singapore engine center celebrated more than 30 years of operations with the milestone delivery of its 7000th overhauled engine. Pratt & Whitney is a division of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).

Since beginning operation, the Singapore engine center has delivered 3,730 PW4000 series of engines (that power Airbus A300, A310 and A330 aircraft family as well as Boeing 747, 767, 777 and MD11 aircraft), 174 CFM56 engines (that power Airbus A340 aircraft), 47 GE90 engines (that power Boeing 777 aircraft) and 3,049 JT9D series of engines (that power Boeing 747-100 aircraft).

A joint venture between Pratt & Whitney and SIA Engineering Co., the engine center also recently surpassed the US-billion-dollar revenue mark. Growing from its beginnings to support Singapore Airlines' (SIA) 747 fleet, the engine center today maintains a diverse portfolio of customers from around the world – with approximately 50 percent from the Americas, 40 percent from Asia Pacific and the remaining from Africa, Europe and Middle East.

"This milestone delivery of 7,000 engines is a substantial accomplishment," said William Kircher, Pratt & Whitney's Singapore Overhaul and Repair vice president. "We are pleased our Singapore engine center has accomplished this feat, demonstrating it has developed world-class service excellence, is able to provide high quality engine repair and overhaul services, and wins customers from all over the world."

"We're also thankful for the support from the Singapore government over these years. We hope to see many more milestones from the Singapore engine center, and look forward to working closely with Singapore as we continue to grow our presence on the island."

The Pratt & Whitney Singapore engine center, Eagle Services Asia Pte Ltd (ESA), currently maintains a capacity to overhaul up to 300 jet engines annually and employs close to 900 employees. As part of Pratt & Whitney's Global Service Partners network providing large commercial engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services to customers worldwide, the engine center is equipped with extensive part repair capacity that helps reduce engine overhaul costs and turnaround times.

ESA first began operations in 1981 as Singapore Engine Overhaul Centre (SEOC), a division of SIA Engineering Company, following the incorporation of Singapore Airlines' engine overhaul division. At the same time, it relocated from Paya Lebar to a small building to be strategically adjacent to Changi International Airport to support the airline's then fleet of JT9D engines. In 1998, it entered into a joint venture with Pratt & Whitney.

Since then, it has grown to a 655,000 square-feet (more than 60,000 square meters) footprint. It also expanded its capabilities to become the Center of Excellence for the Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engine series, while having grown its customer base to serve other aircraft operators. Today, the engine center serves a diverse and global mix of the world's leading airlines, low cost carriers and air-cargo operators.

"Over the years, ESA has grown from serving primarily SIA's fleet," said Ronald Chandler, Eagle Services Asia managing director. "Today, it has evolved with high quality operating standards and responsive turnaround processes to support numerous third party aircraft operators that maintain their own exacting engineering standards and quality philosophies."

Lim Kok Kiang, Executive Director, Transport Engineering, Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), said, "We congratulate ESA for its significant achievement. Pratt & Whitney was one of EDB's first collaborations with major aerospace OEMs. Over the past three decades, ESA has grown and matured together with our industry. And as the demand for MRO grows, we look forward to Pratt & Whitney's continued expansion in Singapore to support its growing customer base in Asia-Pacific, and around the world."

In anticipation of latest Pratt & Whitney's game-changing technology, the engine center has begun developing the capability to support the new PurePower® PW1000G engine family. The Singapore facility will be the world's first engine center to service the PW1500G engine, the PurePower® variant that will power the Bombardier C-Series aircraft. This designation marks a confidence of Singapore as an aviation hub in the world and will involve additional investment in Singapore. The PurePower® engine, with its patented Geared Turbofan technology, is Pratt & Whitney's latest game changing technology for the future generation of passenger aircraft and hypersonic propulsion systems for aircraft, proven to deliver double digit improvements in fuel efficiency, emissions and noise reduction.

"The beginning of SEOC actually dates further back when the engine module shop began in an area of 3 engine bays in SIA's 747 hangar at Paya Lebar," said William Goh, an employee who joined ESA as an apprentice engineer since it started. He presently oversees module and repair operations as the department's general manager at ESA.

"I've stayed employed at ESA over its 30 years of operations because I've continued to learn and developed my career in the aviation industry. The team here has always approached the ever-changing industry with a willingness to learn and adapt. We've benefitted with knowing what we know today – our experience has defined us. It has shaped our passion for the aviation industry."

Pratt & Whitney Global Service Partners is a total service provider for engines made by Pratt & Whitney, International Aero Engines, General Electric, Rolls-Royce and CFMI®.  Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines.  United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and commercial building industries.

Learn more at www.pw.utc.com

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SOURCE Pratt & Whitney