Pratt & Whitney is collaborating with Indύstria de Aviação e Serviços (IAS) to open a new overhaul facility in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, for PT6A and PW200 engines.

“With the opening of the new facility in Belo Horizonte, our customers can benefit from faster and more cost-effective engine overhaul services,” said Satheeshkumar Kumarasingham, vice president of Customer Service at Pratt & Whitney. “With a large population of Pratt & Whitney powered aircraft in Brazil, we are continuing to invest in the country to best meet our customers' needs.”

Pratt & Whitney has operated in Brazil for more than 75 years and remains the country's leading supplier of General Aviation engines. The company also powers a large number of the nation's aircraft for government, commercial and business use. This experience gives Pratt & Whitney's local team the unique insight and ability to personalise services and solutions to meet customers' needs.

“We're excited to be working with Pratt & Whitney on this new overhaul shop,” said Ronaldo Aldrin, chief executive officer at IAS. “The PT6A and PW200 engine families power more than 1,300 aircraft in Brazil. We're looking forward to collaborating with Pratt & Whitney to serve customers even better.”

This new facility builds on an existing service network in the country including Sorocaba, a hot section inspection and parts distribution centre. More recently, three sites joined the Pratt & Whitney designated maintenance facilities network in Brazil - more than in any other country - for the line maintenance and mobile repair of PT6A and helicopter engines. ABA Manutenção de Aeronaves in Barreiras serves the needs of agricultural operators, Rico Táxi Aéreo in Manaus serves PT6A general aviation operators and Helipark Manutenção in São Paulo services several Pratt & Whitney helicopter engines.

The company expects the Belo Horizonte facility to be operational by the end of 2019.