Extended Aircraft Service Drives Honeywell MRO Growth In Asia

SINGAPORE—Airlines in Asia-Pacific are increasingly looking to extend the service lives of existing aircraft as they await deliveries of next-generation airliners, driving maintenance demand for systems including engine controls, avionics and auxiliary power units (APUs), according to Honeywell.

“We continue to see interest from customers on how can we extend the lives of existing platforms. How do we make sure that we get over these next overhaul events so that the reinvestment is going to make sense for a period of time because there have been some decisions to keep aircraft longer,” Anthony Florian, president of Honeywell Aerospace Global Commercial Aftermarket, told Aviation Week at MRO Asia Pacific.

At the same time, the company is also helping airlines and MRO providers prepare for new maintenance requirements associated with aircraft such as the Airbus A350, A320neo and Boeing 777-9.

Honeywell has signed a three-year agreement with Garuda Indonesia covering MRO services for the airline’s Honeywell 131-9B, 331-350 and 331-500 APUs. The 131-9B is installed on Garuda’s 737-800s, while the 331-350 and 331-500 are used on its A330 and 777 fleets, respectively.

Aviation Week Fleet Discovery data shows Garuda has 20 A330-200/-300s in service or storage, along with 48 737-800s and eight 777-300ERs.

The APUs will be serviced at Honeywell’s Singapore facility, one of the company’s largest APU overhaul facilities globally.

Honeywell’s avionics MRO business also remains strong and has so far been largely insulated from semiconductor supply pressures associated with the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) applications, Florian said. Honeywell operates an avionics maintenance facility in Penang, Malaysia.

While semiconductors used in AI systems and avionics differ significantly, Honeywell began making strategic investments in its supply chain around 2022, including securing capabilities for circuit-card manufacturing. The investments have helped reduce potential supply-chain bottlenecks, Florian said.