Story ID: 357
P&WC Launches Online Services Hub
By: Mark Huber
Caption: Engine maker Pratt & Whitney Canada's online Services Hub is designed to speed up service and support.
Word Count: 673
Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC; Booth 2835) launched Services Hub on Monday at NBAA-BACE 2022 as a new self-serve digital tool designed to guide customers online through the process of selecting the right P&WC maintenance services and solutions for their engine, aircraft model, and lifecycle stage. The company has more than 70 aftermarket offerings to support its 66,000 engines in service, and the tool will help customers quickly find what they need.

Using Services Hub, customers are guided through a series of brief questions identifying the aircraft, engine model, and engine total time since entering service. Services Hub then displays the most applicable maintenance solutions and services tailored to the customer’s engine and lifecycle stage. 

“Services Hub is a part of the ongoing aftermarket digital transformation at P&WC to enhance the customer experience,” said Irene Makris, v-p of customer service. “Acting as a personalized online concierge for customers, Services Hub enables them to rapidly filter and identify the products or services that are right for them. Another benefit of the tool is that it helps pair customers with a P&WC sales manager in their region who can answer any further questions about our services and provide individual guidance.” 

P&WC also announced that a second maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility for its PW800-series engines will open in Berlin-Brandenberg, Germany, in 2024—in cooperation with long-time collaborator MTU Aero Engines. This collaboration with MTU builds upon P&WC's $30 million investment in its Bridgeport, West Virginia facility to create the first PW800 MRO. 

The PW800-series engine powers the Gulfstream G500 and G600, which entered service in 2018 and 2019, respectively, and was selected for the G400. It is also the powerplant for the Dassault Falcon 6X, which is expected to enter service next year. 

“This is another way we are striving to meet the MRO needs of our customers around the globe,” said Makris. “We are delighted to be collaborating with MTU on this new MRO facility. We have been working with MTU for more than three decades and have collaborated on many projects, including on the development of the low-pressure turbine and high-pressure compressor for the PW800 engine.”

P&WC has 50 owned and designated maintenance facilities, 100 field support managers, more than 100 mobile repair team technicians, 1,000 spare engines, and 10 owned and designated parts distribution centers worldwide. In November, it expanded its designated maintenance facility (DMF) network, appointing Jet Aviation operations in Singapore; Cairns, Australia; Hong Kong; Manila, the Philippines; and Basel, Switzerland, bringing the number of DMFs worldwide to 22.

The company recently expanded its portfolio of P&WC Smart solutions for major maintenance events. The first new offering under the category is the P&WC Smart subscription service for PT6A engines that provides selected scheduled and unscheduled maintenance coverage, parts replacement, and digital engine health services for engines between their hot-section inspection (HSI) and overhaul.

This service is tailored for those in the post-HSI stage of the engine lifecycle and not on an engine maintenance program and provides a bundle of engine maintenance, services, and support through an annual subscription. P&WC Smart also offers flat-rate new and zero time since overhaul engine exchanges, meaning the aircraft is on the ground for only as long as it takes to swap the old engine for an updated model.

The company has also simplified pay-per-hour engine maintenance contracts and added new features. P&WC’s oil analysis technology uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to increase predictive and preventive maintenance capabilities for helicopter engines. Oil analysis technology is included as part of the Eagle Service Plan.

Meanwhile, its Spare Engine Solutions enable customers to extend the life of an aircraft or get a parked aircraft back flying with just the flying hours needed. Short-term engine rental is available to customers while their engine is in the shop for scheduled or unscheduled maintenance.