By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Sept 24: AirBorneo Airways has signed a four-year agreement with Pratt & Whitney Canada for comprehensive maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services for the PW127M engines powering its ATR 72-500 regional turboprop fleet, securing engine support through 2030.
According to a media release, the agreement is expected to support the reliability and availability of AirBorneo’s aircraft operating on the Rural Air Services (RAS) network, which provides air connectivity to remote and underserved communities across East Malaysia.
Pratt & Whitney Canada said the agreement was developed to help AirBorneo manage engine maintenance costs while maintaining high aircraft dispatch availability for its regional operations.
“We worked closely with AirBorneo to develop a maintenance solution that manages engine costs and supports high dispatch availability for these critical flights.
“This agreement reinforces our commitment to advancing our MRO services and meeting customers’ evolving needs,” said Anthony Rossi, vice president, Customer Service, Pratt & Whitney Canada, following the signing ceremony held in Singapore today.
Under the agreement, AirBorneo’s engines will be primarily maintained at Pratt & Whitney Canada’s Singapore facility, which serves as a key customer-support hub for the Asia-Pacific region.
The Singapore facility has recently received investments to expand its turboprop MRO capabilities, enabling Pratt & Whitney Canada to provide more localized engine maintenance services to operators across the region.
For AirBorneo, the proximity of the MRO facility is particularly significant given the airline’s role in maintaining air links between communities across Borneo.
“We value our relationship with Pratt & Whitney Canada and the proven quality and reliability behind its products and services.
“Having this support based in Singapore puts our engine maintenance and repairs close to home and our aircraft back in service faster,” said AirBorneo CEO Megat Ardian Aminuddin.
He said the arrangement would provide AirBorneo with greater operational certainty as it continues serving intra-Borneo routes, where reliable air transport remains an important link for remote communities.
The PW127M is part of Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PW100 family of turboprop engines, which has supported regional aviation operations for more than four decades.
According to Pratt & Whitney Canada, PW100 engines have accumulated more than 200 million flight hours and power aircraft serving communities around the world.
The latest agreement comes as AirBorneo continues to operate regional services using its ATR 72-500 aircraft, with engine reliability and maintenance turnaround playing a critical role in sustaining connectivity on the RAS network. — DayakDaily
