Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Aero Engines (MHIAEL) has announced the first induction of a Pratt & Whitney geared turborfan (GTF) engine at its recently expanded facility in Japan.

The engine shop in Komaki, north of Nagoya, is the second in Japan and the 11th worldwide for the GTF. Earlier this month in Komaki, MHIAEL inducted the first PW1100G-JM engine, used to power Airbus A320neo aircraft.

Incorporating GTF engines is part of an overall expansion of the facility, which also services V2500 and PW4000 engines. MHIAEL increased workspace by around 20%, a move it says ultimately tripled the MRO capacity.

According to MHIAEL, the expanded facility is expected to increase its commercial engine MRO capacity from 5-6 units per month to more than 10 units per month by 2026. After then, it is targeting reaching 15 units monthly.

MHIAEL says after completing the industrialization process, securing the required certifications and finishing the necessary technician training, the shop is now able to provide full disassembly, assembly and test capability for the engine type. 

Overall, this will lead to more immediate support for customers in the Asia-Pacific region, where the GTF aftermarket is currently served by the likes of Pratt & Whitney’s Eagle Services Asia in Singapore, IHI in Japan and MTU Maintenance Zhuhai in China.

“We are constantly evaluating the size and shape of the GTF MRO network to ensure that it can support the growing fleet and customer demand for aftermarket service anywhere in the world. Since 2019, the number of shops in the network has doubled,” says Kevin Kirkpatrick, vice president of aftermarket global operations at Pratt & Whitney. 

“MHIAEL’s experience has already been demonstrated by their work supporting Pratt & Whitney’s PW4000 engine and the IAE V2500 engine. We are excited to be working with them in a larger capacity,” adds Kirkpatrick.

Masanori Ushida, president and chief executive officer at MHIAEL, adds: “As a member of IAE network, we are ready and are excited to support the increasing demands of PW1100G-JM overhauls.”

Aviation Week Intelligence Network's Commercial Aviation 2023 Fleet & MRO Forecast data projects a 22.5% compound annual growth rate from 2023-32 for the GTF engine family in Asia-Pacific.