Pratt & Whitney has high aspirations for its engine overhaul venture with Singapore Airlines, which it set up earlier this year; It plans to capture no less than 35% of the engine overhaul market in Asia from airlines that do not have their own facilities.

The joint venture, Eagle Services ASIA (ESA), is 51% owned by Pratt & Whitney Eagle Services and 49% by SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC), a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines.

SIAEC provides total aviation support, maintenance and services to SIA and other airlines.

The Singapore company is looking to get contracts for entire aircraft maintenance and portion off the engine segment to its joint venture; Pratt & Whitney is trying to get long term agreements with airlines for entire engine management and will direct the overhaul work to the Singapore facility, according to James Taiclet, president of Pratt & Whitney Eagle Services.

ESA will provide overhaul and repair services for Pratt & Whitney's PW4000 and JT9D engines, and rival CFM International's CFM56-5. Other engine models will be added in future. The partners see revenues reaching $200 million by 2000 and rising to $300 million a few years later, depending on how quickly Asia pulls out of its economic crisis.

SIAEC's existing third party customers are small Indonesian airlines, European and U.S. freighter airlines, and carriers from Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Vietnam, South Korea and mainland China, which account for 30% of its revenue. Now it can offer them engine services as well.