EAP Adds Array of Engine Models to Portfolio

Hourly engine maintenance program provider Engine Assurance Program (EAP) continues to build on its portfolio with the additions of Rolls-Royce, GE Aerospace, Honeywell, and Pratt & Whitney Canada models to its product lineup. These include the Rolls-Royce BR710C4-11, GE CF34-3B, Honeywell HTF7000, and P&WC PW308C that power aircraft such as Gulfstream G550, Bombardier Challenger 604 and Challenger 300, and Dassault Falcon 2000-series twinjets.

The additions, which have come online in recent months, expand EAP’s suite of hourly maintenance programs that target older model engines, joining venerable products such as the Honeywell TFE731, Rolls-Royce AE3007 and TAY 611-8, and P&WC PW500, along with auxiliary power units.

EAP was founded in 2016 to fill what it saw as a gap in the market: the support of older engines with lower-cost maintenance programs. Managing director Sean Lynch said EAP typically targets programs that have been in service for at least two decades.

“As they get to that about 20 years in service, that’s when we’ll add that model to our offering, so we’re just slowly increasing the models we’ll cover as they reach a certain maturity in the market,” Lynch told AIN.

EAP’s programs cover scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, as well as routine maintenance. In addition, its program offers engine health monitoring, oil analysis, and other services.

“With EAP, out-of-production aircraft can stay in the air longer, giving life to these still highly versatile airframes,” Lynch said. “The engines served by EAP have logged millions of hours of service. When EAP keeps an aircraft flying longer, there is an entire revenue stream/trickle-down effect that feeds the whole industry.”

In a recent interview with AIN, Lynch discussed the importance of hourly maintenance programs, particularly for older models. “I believe that engine programs are the lifeblood of the business,” he said.

He pointed to an analysis he conducted of 10 Falcon 900Bs that had been parted out over the past decade. The common denominator: all but one were not on an engine program. In one case, the airplane was due for a C check, a major periodic inspection of the engines, and needed Wi-Fi, paint, an interior, and landing gear overhaul. Ultimately, an MRO bought it for the parts. 

“That airplane should have flown for 15 to 20 more years,” Lynch said. “If you look at the trickle-down effect of the revenue loss to the whole industry, it’s millions and millions of dollars—salaries, fuel, tires, wheels, brakes, paint jobs, brokerage fees, insurance, avionics.”

He estimated that, at a minimum, it represents about a $7 million revenue loss from the support side, and possibly millions more when you factor in operating costs over 20 years. “I just don’t think the industry understands how important it is for these things to be on a program,” he said. “The whole industry loses over a multi-year period.”

In addition to cost savings, EAP also said its program streamlines support for operators in that they may only need to work with a single vendor. “With EAP, you may only need one program for all your engine coverage needs, versus dealing with multiple different OEM programs. That saves customers time and effort,” Lynch said. “By not being affiliated with an OEM, we’re agnostic.”

As EAP has expanded its customer base, it has established a significant spare parts inventory and spare parts pool. Lynch said this became a necessity since the pandemic, given the supply-chain issues. EAP has developed its own supply chain. “We know that specific manufacturers don’t have fuel control units twice a year. We know that they run out of blades twice a year,” he said. “So, we just stock the parts. It’s not cheap, [but] we know we can’t rely on the system. So we made our own system.”

By taking proactive approaches, the company said its customers have a 99.98% dispatch reliability rate.