GE Expands Asian Service Centers

No fewer than eight support and service centers have been opened in Asia by GE Aircraft Engines in the last three years, marking a significant expansion in the region.

The centers support engines made by GE (and CFM) as well as its competitors, including Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce and IAE.

"Asia is vital to our global support structure," said Bill Vareschi, president and CEO of GE Engine Services, which reported revenues of $5.5 billion last year.

The expansion has taken place while Asian economies languished in recession and airlines held off ordering new equipment.

"It enabled us to take a step back and build on the installed base," GEAE president and CEO Jim McNerney told Show News. "It also helps us build customer relationships for the next round of new engine competitions. The expansion has a customer advocacy benefit as well as a productivity benefit," he added.

McNerney said the expansion in Asia has been mirrored elsewhere in the world. "We are absolutely committed to providing a global services infrastructure for our customers. Then it is up to them whether they want to avail themselves of it."

GE Engine Services' Asian facilities include:

• GE On Wing Support (Xiamen) Co. Ltd.: Will dispatch "rapid response" technicians 24 hours a day, worldwide, from Xiamen City, China, from this spring. It will also provide quick-turnaround, on-wing maintenance and repair.
• GE Engine Services (Xiamen) Co. Ltd.: This joint venture with Xiamen Aviation Industry Co. Ltd., and Taikoo (Xiamen) Aircraft Engineering Co. Ltd. (TAECO), will begin maintenance and overhaul operations next year on GE and CFM engines.
• Airfoil Technologies Singapore Pte. Ltd.: Will be able to refurbish up to one million compressor airfoils per year from its facility in Singapore; opened officially during Asian Aerospace '98.
• Evergreen Aviation Technologies Corp.: Maintains and overhauls engines for EVA Airways and GE, and other Asia-Pacific airlines, from its Taiwan facility that opened last year.
• GE On Wing Support (Korea): Opened just two weeks ago to dispatch "rapid response" teams 24 hours a day worldwide from Asiana Airlines' Kimpo Airport facility in Seoul.
• GE Engine Services ­ Japan: A joint venture with All Nippon Airways and Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries (IHI) to perform engine component repairs at Yokoshiba, Japan, from April 2000.
• GE Engine Services Malaysia ­ Aero '97: Joint venture with Malaysian Airline Systems (MAS) to overhaul and repair engines for MAS and other Asia-Pacific airlines from its facility in Subang, Malaysia.
• GE On Wing Support (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd: dispatches "rapid response" technicians throughout Asia, and provides quick-turnaround, on-wing maintenance and repair from the Malaysia Airlines Aero facility in Subang.