Fixed-wing & helo combined: 1 Williams, 2 GE, 3 Rolls-Royce, 4 Pratt & Whitney, 5 Honeywell
Helo only: 1 Pratt & Whitney, 2 Rolls-Royce.
Pro Pilot staff report
Data compiled by Conklin & de Decker
For 31 years Pro Pilot has polled fixed-wing and helicopter operators on the service received from powerplant OEMs. In order to achieve their missions, flight departments need aircraft that operate flawlessly with the support of engine and aircraft OEMs. Quality of service is what measures OEMs’ work, and this year’s survey results follow.
Williams wins the top award again, making it the top product support engine provider for 8 years in a row. Its overall score this year is 8.68 this year, slightly down from 8.69. Williams wins 1st place in all categories except for cost of parts. Best category improvement this year is in tech manuals, with an 8.89 score, up from 8.55 received in 2022 – a 0.34 increase.
Williams’ product support includes a vast network of authorized service centers worldwide, and a customer portal that provides 24/7 service. Operators can access the customer portal at williams-int.com.
GE takes a strong 2nd place for the 3rd consecutive year, with an overall score of 8.42, compared to 8.56 obtained in 2022. GE places 1st in the cost of parts category, where it obtains the best category improvement with a 7.86 score this year, compared to last year’s 7.47. This is an increase of 0.39 and the biggest improvement in the survey. GE is 2nd in response to problems, speed in AOG service, and service satisfaction, and 3rd in spares availability, tech manuals, and tech reps.
GE’s On Wing Support provides engineering support to operators to complete complex engine repairs. GE’s worldwide network is available 24/7, and OEM-trained technicians are able to deliver AOG support and repair solutions. Operators with an AOG situation, inquiries, or comments can send requests through their GE customer portal, mygeaerospace.com.
Rolls-Royce moves up a notch placing 3rd with an overall score of 8.28 this year, slightly down from 8.33 in 2022. R-R receives 2nd place in spares availability, tech manuals, and tech reps, and 3rd in response to problems and service satisfaction. Best category improvement is in tech manuals, with a score of 8.82, up from 8.53 in 2022.
Rolls-Royce provides customer support through myaeroengine.com, a portal with vital information for maintaining R-R engines. It provides access to authorized service center information, technical publications, and CorporateCare – a fixed-cost engine maintenance plan that protects business aviation customers from unforeseen costs and unscheduled events worldwide.
Helicopter operators operating R-R M250 and RR300 engines are able to access support through the MyM250 customer portal. It provides access 24/7 access to customer support teams and service centers, training information, and parts and publications. R-R FIRST (Fully Integrated R-R Support Team) is the authorized worldwide network for M250 and RR300 engines.
Pratt & Whitney takes 4th place, down from 3rd in 2022, with an overall score of 8.17 in 2023. P&W places 3rd in cost of parts and speed in AOG service. P&W Customer First Centre provides field customer representatives and 24/7 expertise virtually anywhere in the world.
Also, the My P&WC Power portal enables operators to manage P&WC products and service, as well as account information and settings, wherever they are. Its Eagle Service Plan (ESP) maintenance program, a pay-per-hour program, guarantees long-term engine maintenance costs, ensuring that engines are maintained to the highest standard. It covers major scheduled engine maintenance, unscheduled engine and accessory maintenance, and required engine and accessory upgrades.
Honeywell stayed in 5th place this year with an overall score of 7.13. Honeywell operators can obtain support by visiting aerospace.honeywell.com, which provides customer support and contact information for AOG situations, aerospace tech support, technical publications, order management, maintenance service plans, and answers to inquiries. Honeywell representatives and support teams worldwide are ready to assist 24/7.
Jet and turboprop divisions
For the 13th year, Pro Pilot has separated the overall scores for jet and turboprop engine manufacturers, in addition to those in the helo category. The minimum number of evaluations required for the jet and TP divisions was 30, and 17 for helicopters.
Some respondents rated a single engine manufacturer with 2 types of aircraft, eg, P&W for a Citation Sovereign (jet) and for a King Air 350 (turboprop). Because of this, there is a small difference between total responses for overall rankings and the rankings by aircraft type. For overall rankings, this was counted as 1 response (Pratt & Whitney), while for rankings by type of aircraft, it was counted as 2 (jets and turboprops).
For a full view of the 2023 Turbine Powerplant Product Support Survey… click here