AFI KLM E&M inducts its first GTF 

Pratt & Whitney, an RTX company, has announced that Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M), has inducted its first Pratt & Whitney GTF engine. AFI KLM E&M has joined the Pratt & Whitney GTF MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) network in 2022 with disassembly, assembly and test capabilities for PW1500G model engines for the Airbus A220 family. In 2021, Air France has selected 60 A220-300 aircraft with an option to add up to 60 more, which are exclusively powered by GTF engines. The airline currently operates 24 of these aircraft, with a further 37 on order.

European market 

"With the entry into service of our first GTF engine, we are strengthening our capabilities in the field," said Anne Brachet, executive vice president of Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance. "Our ability to overhaul turbojet engines with gearboxes reinforces our expertise in this type of architecture. We are therefore ready to meet the needs of current and future operators, many of whom are right here in Europe."

13th active GTF site in MRO 

Over the past four years, the GTF MRO network has more than doubled in size, and AFI KLM E&M is the 13th active site. AFI KLM E&M is one of several European suppliers to take on GTF MRO work, and will become the third facility in the region to provide complete disassembly, assembly and test capabilities for the PW1500G engine.

Two facility expansions and three shop activations 

"Pratt & Whitney has announced two facility expansions and three shop activations partnering across its entire network in the first half of the year alone," says Marc Meredith, vice president of GTF engines aftermarket at Pratt & Whitney. "With rapid fleet growth, it's more important than ever to ensure that our network includes world-class MRO providers like AFI KLM E&M, who offer first-rate services close to our customers."