FARNBOROUGH—Ontic is looking to expand its presence in the engine and auxiliary power unit (APU) aftermarket through its newly announced partnership with UK specialist CFS Aero.
Under the agreement, Ontic and CFS Aero will jointly pursue licensing, product-transfer and long-term support opportunities for established powerplant programs that OEMs no longer want to manage directly while enabling them to free engineering and production for next-generation engines.
Brian Sartain, Ontic’s chief operating officer, said the partnership will see UK-based CFS Aero add turbine engine engineering, certification and testing expertise that Ontic has not previously developed internally.
“We do a lot of engine components, avionics and components all over the aircraft, but we’re not really in the hot section or the technically challenging portion of a turbine engine,” Sartain told Aviation Week at the 2026 Farnborough Airshow. “They [CFS] know how to certify, they know how to run test stands, and they know how to do all the things that are part of the value proposition we can provide to engine manufacturers.”
While the precise division of responsibilities will be dependent on individual programs, CFS Aero is expected to lead system-level engineering and certification activities, with the business holding FAA, EASA and UK CAA approvals. The company, which operates two UK locations in Warwick and Chester, has more than 30 years of engine and APU experience covering repair, overhaul, testing, design authority and type-certificate-holder responsibilities.
Ontic will retain responsibility for individual components, parts, supply chain management and commercial support. “When you take on an APU, there is a level of systems engineering in turbine engines that we haven’t done before. It is best to have experienced hands involved from the outset,” Sartain added.
Although initially focused on acquiring or licensing product lines, Sartain said the open-ended partnership could eventually extend into areas such as repairs, product improvements and wider engineering development. To date, Ontic says it has already transitioned more than 200 aerospace product lines.
Jean-Christophe Gallagher, who took over as the company’s CEO from Gareth Hall in May, said the agreement was partly driven by existing customers asking the company to examine whole systems outside its traditional component-focused model.
Although the company supports engine products including JT15D and PT6 components, turbine blades and airfoils, it has not previously assumed responsibility for complete engine or APU systems.
“Growth for the sake of growth” is not the objective, Gallagher said. Instead, he said Ontic’s future expansion will depend on sustaining product quality, on-time delivery and the trust of OEMs transferring long-term support responsibilities to the company.
In recent years, Ontic has invested heavily in both its manufacturing and repair capacity in both the U.S. and the UK. In the UK, it has invested approximately $11 million to refurbish the Tewkesbury site, which will house MRO activities currently performed at its nearby operations in Staverton and Bishop’s Cleeve in southwest England, with the changeover expected to be completed through 2026 and potentially into 2027.
Previously, the business transferred its MRO product lines in Creedmoor, North Carolina, and Chatsworth, California, into a single 60,000 ft.² site in Miramar, Florida, which opened at the beginning of 2025. Overall, aftermarket revenue accounts for around 25–30% of Ontic’s business.
Ontic has subsequently leased a further 100,000-ft.² facility in Weston, Florida, where it plans to invest approximately $10 million to establish a manufacturing site. Located less than 20 miles away from its Miramar operation, the Weston facility is scheduled to begin production in 2027 following building enhancements.
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