Since July 25, Pratt & Whitney has been counting on Embraer’s help to solve the problems of the advanced GTF engine, which has caused many airlines to ground their jets.
The Brazilian manufacturer’s subsidiary, OGMA, has become part of the MRO (maintenance, repair, and operations) services network with a new facility in Alverca, Portugal.
The MRO center will be responsible for repairing the PW1100G engine, which is used by the Airbus A320neo family and which has been the most affected by contamination problems in hot sections.
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“This marks a significant milestone in our expanding relationship with OGMA and Embraer, furthering our commitment to providing global industry-leading service and support to increase GTF MRO capacity,” said Marc Meredith, vice president of aftermarket for GTF engines at Pratt & Whitney. “OGMA brings more than a century of maintenance expertise to the network and will provide critical support for the growing GTF fleet in Europe.”
“Embraer and OGMA are very pleased to deepen its relationship with Pratt & Whitney. With this collaboration, we are on the right track to expand our services portfolio for the GTF fleet as part of Embraer’s accelerated growth strategy”, says Carlos Naufel, President and CEO, Embraer Services & Support.
Network with 19 MRO points
Although it is very economical, the GTF turbofan has not yet reached the level of reliability expected by its operators. Furthermore, Pratt & Whitney found itself without sufficient structure to correct the problem and return the planes to commercial service.
The company has been expanding the GTF MRO network and only in 2023 has opened six turbofan maintenance facilities. OGMA is the 18th MRO shop in the world and the goal is to have 19 turbofan maintenance locations by next year.
OGMA, which performs a variety of activities for Embraer and other customers, will also maintain the PW1900G, a variant used on the E190-E2 and E195-E2 jets.
