- Line Maintenance Services Team Travels Globe to Keep Fleet Flying
US, July 6. Benson Tse calls it “the most thrilling” job he’s ever had. Kyle Ray appreciates “being part of the frontline” working with customers to find a maintenance solution. George Allen says he’s been “chasing airplanes” for more than 30 years and finds the work truly rewarding.
What do all three of these colleagues have in common? They’re part of Pratt & Whitney Line Maintenance Services (LMS) – a specialized team of engine repair experts deployed around the world to serve commercial customers whose aircraft have been grounded without a spare engine readily available.
“If a plane is on the ground, it’s not making money” for a commercial airline customer, said Ray, a customer service coordinator who joined Pratt & Whitney, a Raytheon Technologies business, in 2017 after being referred by a friend. “We’re on call 24 hours a day (and) sometimes we’re working all hours of the night” to help get an aircraft on the ground back in service. Kyle mentioned that “we’re usually home for a few days, then gone again” on a mission.
The team’s origins go back to the early 2000s, and demand for the services has grown considerably over the past few years as customers have requested more on-site maintenance work. The team, which began with five technicians in 2015, has since grown to 13 members.
Although the team also services legacy engines, such as the PW4000, the team largely supports GTF customer service calls – and the company’s response is to send the field service team anywhere in the world it’s needed, usually within three calendar days.
The team even kept traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic (with special exception approval) to help keep customers flying during a difficult time, said Tse, a customer service manager who joined the team in 2015.
“Customers love working with LMS because we give them a level of confidence that the job will be completed with the utmost quality at or faster than (we) committed,” he said.
The three co-workers, based in Dallas, have grown accustomed to the late-night and early-morning calls sending them – often with specialty tools and equipment shipped ahead – to customer locations around the world. In a job that can require up to 70 percent business travel, they lightheartedly agreed the extra frequent-flyer miles someday will come in handy.
“It was an easy decision for me to take this role,” said Benson. “I wanted to come into this position to learn everything I can. I always liked staying in touch with customers. This is the most thrilling group I’ve ever been in.”
Ray recently spent a few days working late-night hours in Dallas supporting teammates who were flown to the Middle East after a customer noticed engine fan case damage. While the early morning calls may not have been ideal, he commented how “The work is rewarding. It’s pretty cool to think you can be anywhere in the world helping a customer within a few hours.”
Allen agreed: “It’s always been rewarding to fix a problem and then see the plane fly away. Or when the airplane you’re there to fix is your ride home.”
