Pratt & Whitney leans on automation at Singapore engine MRO sites

Pratt & Whitney is using automation and artificial intelligence at its Singapore engine maintenance facilities to add capacity ahead of expected fleet growth in Asia-Pacific, according to a company executive.

Sandra Eich, vice president of aftermarket operations for APAC and Türkiye at Pratt & Whitney Commercial Engines, said the region is ahead of other markets in digitising aftermarket work. She cited support from Singapore's Economic Development Board and other industry partners in bringing AI technology and automation into the company's factories.

Eich also pointed to the company's Singapore Technology Accelerator, an in-house team based in the city-state that works with shop floor staff to identify where automation can add capacity. The region's lead is partly cultural, she said, and partly a result of the support available locally.

Asia-Pacific is expected to become the world's largest aviation market by fleet size within the next decade. Engine maintenance providers will need to add capacity quickly to keep pace.

As automation advances, the skills required of maintenance technicians are changing. Eich called organisational development the next step for the business. Pratt & Whitney is working with local technical schools to define what the future workforce should look like, and is building continuing education programmes for current employees.

She said the aim is for AI to be an operator-assisted tool rather than a replacement for staff. Staff response has been positive, she added, with many keen to learn how to program robots.