RTX has pledged more than $139 million to expand engine and nacelle maintenance capacity in Singapore, after signing a memorandum of understanding with the city-state's Economic Development Board this year. The investment anchors Pratt & Whitney's bid to keep pace with an Asia-Pacific fleet that operators and OEMs alike expect to overtake every other region within a decade.

Why is Asia-Pacific setting the automation pace?

Speaking to AeroTime on the sidelines of MRO Asia-Pacific 2026, Sandra Eich, Vice President of Aftermarket Operations (APAC and Turkey) for Pratt & Whitney Commercial Engines, said local backing and a receptive shop floor have pushed the region ahead of EMEA and the Americas on digital adoption.

"In the region, we have a lot of support, from the Economic Development Board here in Singapore and other industry partners that we work with, to really get AI technology and automation into our factories," Eich said.

Pratt & Whitney's Singapore Technology Accelerator, an in-house team embedded with shop floor crews, identifies where robotics and machine learning can lift throughput. Eich framed the regional lead as partly cultural, partly structural.

What does the GTF network look like today?

Pratt & Whitney plans nine GTF engine MRO facilities across Asia-Pacific, with seven already running and two more scheduled to come online in 2026. The build-out covers the PW1100G-JM, the powerplant for the A320neo family whose in-service fleet is now driving heavy shop visits.

• 9 facilities planned across APAC
• 7 already operational
• 2 due to open in 2026
• GTF work accounts for roughly 70% of Eagle Services Asia's volume

Eich's remit also covers Turkey, where engine centers in Istanbul, Shanghai and Christchurch support the legacy V2500 fleet and feed lessons back into the wider network.

How is Eagle Services Asia automating GTF overhauls?

Eagle Services Asia (ESA), Pratt & Whitney's flagship Singapore MRO center, has operated as a joint venture with SIA Engineering Company since 1978. The shop services the PW1100G-JM and the PW4000, with GTF work making up about 70% of throughput.

ESA has rolled out engine assembly automation, AI-driven borescope analysis and AI-enhanced X-ray inspection. In the early years of high-pressure compressor stacking, failure rates ran near 30%; that process is now consistent, executives said. Four generations of employees now work side by side as the facility approaches its 50th anniversary.

Management describes the automation journey in three phases: stand up individual modules, connect them, then integrate the line with an upskilled workforce. RTX is piloting lights-out factory concepts at some shops but is holding the line on certification. Every automated process must clear full qualification before network rollout.

How is GASCA absorbing four times the nacelle work?

The tour also stopped at GASCA, a Collins Aerospace joint venture with SIA Engineering Company founded in 1995. The shop services nacelles for the A350, A320neo, A220 and 787, and has now handled work for more than 100 airline customers.

Rodney Hua, Asia MRO General Manager at Collins, said GASCA's volume has quadrupled over the past decade, handled with essentially the same workforce and footprint. He credited continuous improvement and digital tools, including:

• Autonomous inspection robots
• Automated parts delivery
• Digital damage mapping
• Laser-guided composite repair

Hua expects the regional fleet to grow about 30% over the next five years, with much of it reaching the age when nacelle maintenance becomes due. Airlines, he argued, will shift from fixing faults as they arise to predicting them using the data GASCA has been collecting for years.

Will automation replace technicians?

Eich called organizational development "the next step" for the business. Pratt & Whitney is partnering with local technical schools to define the future workforce, and is building continuous education programs for current staff. On AI, Eich drew a firm line: "We want to make sure, especially when you introduce AI, that it is an operator-assisted tool and not replacing any of our operators." She added that staff response has been positive, with many technicians eager to learn how to program robots.

With Asia-Pacific fleets expanding faster than any other region, RTX's two Singapore hubs are testing whether MRO capacity can scale through software, sensors and upskilled hands before the next maintenance wave arrives.