WEST JEFFERSON, NC - GE Aerospace announced a nearly $53M investment to purchase new equipment and expand its West Jefferson facility by over 35,000 square feet to boost capacity for in-demand narrowbody aircraft engines. The project will create more than 40 new jobs at the site and bolster North Carolina’s role as a cornerstone in building the future of flight.

The $53M investment is over three years. A grant of $100,000 from the One North Carolina Fund will support the company’s expansion efforts. The West Jefferson site produces some of the most critical parts used in CFM LEAP engines, including rotating parts, blisks, high pressure turbines and spools.

The expansion will support hiring for roles including apprentice machinists and inspectors, as well as engineers. GE Aerospace has a decade-long partnership with the Wilkes Community College and the state’s NC Edge program that provides advanced training preparing local individuals with the skills they need to work at GE Aerospace.

Ashe County, Ashe County Job Development Inc., and the Town of West Jefferson will contribute $1M in grants as well.

GE Aerospace employs around 2,000 workers across four locations in North Carolina. The company announced earlier this year it would invest more than $100M into its North Carolina sites. The new $53 million investment adds to that investment.

Source: GE Aerospace
Associated URL: https://www.geaerospace.com/news/press-releases/ge-aerospace-invests-53m-west-jefferson-facility-support-engine-production

LONDON - Rolls-Royce and Emirates signed a Memorandum of Understanding granting Emirates the rights to perform Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul on their own Trent 900 engines that power their A380 fleet. At the same time, the TotalCare agreement covering the Trent 900 fleet has also been extended into the 2040s.

Emirates will build a new facility, with the first engine induction forecast for 2027. Emirates will complete fan-case repairs at the facility, and Rolls-Royce will maintain module-repair capability within the global network. Emirates plans to continue operating the Airbus A380 into the 2040s, and the airline wants to secure its own engine-maintenance capabilities.

TotalCare is designed to provide operational and financial assurance for customers by transferring time-on-wing and maintenance-cost risk back to Rolls-Royce. This industry-leading premium service offering is supported by data delivered through the Rolls-Royce advanced engine-health monitoring system, which helps provide customers with increased operational availability, reliability, and efficiency.

Source: Rolls-Royce
Associated URL: https://www.rolls-royce.com/media/press-releases/2025/20-11-2025-emirates-to-join-rolls-royce-global-maintenance-repair-and-overhaul-network-from-2027.aspx

RENO, Nev., -- Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PT6A engine family, used widely in agricultural aviation and firefighting, has surpassed one million flight hours in 2025.

The PT6A line, first certified for aerial application in 1977, has expanded to eight variants and nearly 5,000 engines produced for aircraft built by Air Tractor and Thrush Aircraft. These single-engine platforms are used globally for crop application, pest control, forest management, and wildfire response. The broader PT6 family has powered more than 155 aircraft types and accumulated over 500 million flight hours since 1963, while related Pratt & Whitney Canada engines such as the PW100 continue to support fixed-wing and rotary-wing firefighting operations around the world.

The milestone highlights the sustained demand for turboprop engines that support essential missions in food production, environmental management, and wildfire suppression. It also underscores the long-term role of legacy engine families like the PT6A in sectors where reliability and durability directly affect public safety and resource protection.

Source: RTX
Associated URL: https://www.prattwhitney.com/