A lifelong aviation enthusiast who joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in 2007, Curt came to&nbsp;the publication&nbsp;from the broadcast industry where he was a national science and technology television reporter and producer. He writes on the FBO field, aviation finance, and sustainable aviation and occasionally contributes to&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;sister publication&nbsp;Business Jet Traveler. Curt was a member of the AINtv reporting staff that won the 2008 Aerospace Journalist of the Year award for Best Airshow Daily. That same year, he was a finalist for another AJOYA award. He earned an AJOYA for Best Business Aviation Submission in 2018 and was a finalist in that category in 2021. He received the National Air Transportation Association’s&nbsp; Aviation Journalist Award in 2012 and won a Pegasus Sapphire Business Aviation Award for outstanding journalism in 2021.
Before joining AIN, Curt worked with&nbsp;Consumer Reports’ television division, CRTV, and for several local television news staffs. An honors graduate of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, he earned a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University in 1995. Curt lives in New York State with his wife and two young sons.

Business Aviation Services Editor

Curt Epstein

Rolls-Royce is the world’s leading engine supplier in business aviation, powering some of the largest, fastest, and longest-range business jets available. Rolls-Royce powers aircraft built by Bombardier, Cessna, Embraer and Gulfstream. Our products and services include the Pearl, BR725, BR710, AE3007, Tay, Spey, MR&O, and CorporateCare® Enhanced, the leading solution for engine care. This maintenance program offers increased asset liquidity, nacelle coverage and complete engine management, from line maintenance to shop visits. CorporateCare Enhanced, the comprehensive, fixed-cost engine maintenance management plan, provides customers with a global support infrastructure which includes: Engine Health Monitoring, a worldwide network of Authorised Service Centres and globally distributed spare parts and engines, all managed by our dedicated 24/7 Business Aircraft Availability Centre.

The purpose of a business aircraft is to facilitate quick, efficient transportation, and Part 3 of AIN’s annual Product Support Survey dealt with the system that powers that value proposition: engines.
Our readers provided feedback on the support their aircraft powerplants—whether turbofan, turboprop, or turboshaft—received from their respective manufacturers. In this year’s results, GE Aerospace retained its top position for jet engines with an overall average score of 8.81, despite changes to the AIN survey methodology this year that weighted more toward independent reviews. Those changes rendered direct year-to-year comparison of survey scores invalid.
The three highest-rated jet engines this year were GE’s Passport (9.20), followed by Williams International’s FJ44 (8.77) and Rolls-Royce’s Tay (8.69).
In the turboprop segment, Pratt &amp; Whitney Canada surpassed Honeywell this year, garnering an average score of 8.42. Its PT6 engine family received the highest mark (9.43) among all powerplants in overall engine reliability, and the Montreal-based manufacturer also topped the turboshaft category with an overall score of 8.19.
The engine makers continued the narrative heard across the other two parts of the Product Support Survey, describing some hurdles in the industry.
“Industry-wide challenges, including supply chain pressures, continue to affect turnaround times and the availability of engine parts across all OEMs,” Anthony Rossi, Pratt &amp; Whitney Canada’s v-p of customer service, told AIN. “However, we are seeing signs of improvement on the overall capacity and the flow steadiness. We’ve taken proactive steps within our operations to mitigate delays and maintain reliable support to customers, while continuing to monitor conditions closely.”
Even when materials and parts are in supply, other factors are at play. “Labor availability remains a focus across the entire aviation industry, and Rolls-Royce is proactively addressing it,” said Lindsey Stuss Gillen, the company’s v-p of sales and marketing for business aviation, adding that it seeks to establish a strong talent pipeline for its engine assembly, MRO, and mobile repair through investment in training, apprenticeships, and career development programs.
&nbsp;It is a similar story at Honeywell, which is leveraging internal processes and labor support to transition and expand the roles of its existing skilled workforce, according to Kyle Grzywacz, senior director and general manager for engines.
While the engine makers are managing those factors, Gillen noted that some issues are beyond their control. “Political volatility and shifting policies on tariffs and sanctions remain the biggest challenge for our industry,” she said. “At Rolls-Royce, we anticipate and adapt to these changes at pace, protecting our operations and ensuring our customers experience uninterrupted support worldwide.”
Most of the engine manufacturers are embracing new tools such as artificial intelligence (AI) to provide better support for their products.
“A big part of GE Aerospace’s services commitment is to invest in new technologies that allow us to continuously improve the way we monitor, inspect, repair, and service our engines,” said Melvyn Heard, business aviation general manager for GE Aerospace’s commercial engines and services business. “This has included the development and deployment of AI-enabled digital solutions and tools…which have improved the ability of [our] fleet support team and MRO networks to predictively monitor and service our engines.” He noted that getting earlier leads on maintenance enables its field teams around the globe to be ready with the right design expertise and OEM parts.
Rolls-Royce’s Gillen describes the impact of the new digital technology as nothing short of revolutionary in terms of the impact on operations and maintenance. With the ability to analyze historic cases, “AI-driven health monitoring tracks about 10,000 engine parameters in real time, reducing unplanned downtime and improving fleet performance,” she told AIN. “Predictive maintenance and real-time data insights enhance reliability, minimize shop visits, and optimize service for customers.”

<h2>GE Aerospace</h2>
Repeating its position at the top of the AIN Product Support Survey: Engines chart for this year, with an overall average score of 8.81, is GE Aerospace, which recently celebrated its first anniversary as a standalone company. It edged out the second-place finisher by three one-hundredths of a point. The manufacturer—which produces the CF34 and Passport engine families—led in five of the eight survey categories and finished second in AOG response (8.81) and overall engine reliability (9.40).
It was also among the top in warranty fulfillment at 9.15 and at the top with factory owned service centers with its second strongest score (9.38) behind overall engine reliability,&nbsp;
This year, the company will reach a milestone with the delivery of its 500th Passport engine, which powers Bombardier’s top-of-the-line Global 7500 and 8000, expected from its Lafayette, Indiana production facility by the end of the year. Introduced in 2018, the Passport fleet recently surpassed 600,000 flight hours, with a 99.9% dispatch reliability.
Passport operators gave the engine the highest overall average, putting it at the top of the chart in seven individual engine categories: Factory owned service centers (9.61), authorized service centers (9.56), cost per hour programs (8.65), cost of parts (8.89), AOG response (9.45), technical representatives (9.38), and technical manuals (9.26).
The company’s CF34 family—as used on Bombardier’s Challenger 600 series—received an overall average score of 8.39 and tied for the high score in the overall engine reliability category with a 9.49.
To support its business aviation products, GE Aerospace’s OnPoint Service program was established with the belief that only an OEM can have a comprehensive understanding of its products, and the program provides concierge-level service to its customers. Aside from events such as foreign object damage, which are not traditionally covered by programs, OnPoint covers all parts, labor, shop visits, line-replaceable units, lease pool engines, and all transportation for loaner engines. The process involves one call, and the company’s field service technicians handle the work from diagnostics to completion.
That service gave GE Aerospace the top score among engine makers in the cost per hour programs category (8.55). It also led in technical manuals (8.79) and technical representatives (8.85), in addition to its strong warranty fulfillment score. Even in cost of parts—a category that dragged the scores of its competitors—GE Aerospace was the only OEM to score higher than an 8.0 (8.14).
The company continues to expand its use of AI-enabled digital solutions to improve the ability of its fleet support team and MRO networks to predictively monitor and service its engines. According to Melvyn Heard, GE Aerospace’s general manager for business aviation, it is seeing 60% earlier lead times in identifying predictive maintenance recommendations, and this has also enabled it to monitor more engine conditions over time. “Our overall approach to product support is rooted in our commitment to continuous improvement,” Heard told AIN.
Another area where GE Aerospace is seeing growth is in its FlightPulse electronic flight bag application, which has had more than a 150% rise over the past three years to more than 60,000 users. Developed by its software-as-a-service team, it gives pilots safety and fuel insights based not only on their own flight data, but also from safety information across the industry.

<h2>Williams International</h2>
Rising up one position from last year to second place with an overall average score of 8.78 in the AIN Product Support Survey is Williams International. The company, which is based in Pontiac, Michigan, and was founded in 1955, specializes in powerplants for a wide range of smaller-class jets, including the Cessna CJ4, Pilatus PC-24, and Cirrus Vision Jet SF50.
More than 8,200 FJ44 and FJ33 family engines are in service and have accumulated over 21 million hours in flight, and the manufacturer noted that it remains relentless in its pursuit to deliver the industry’s best product support.
“As our fleet expands, our commitment to top-notch support grows stronger,” said Steve Shettler, Williams’ senior v-p of commercial programs and product support. “Our recent focus zeros in on rapid hardware availability and efficient positioning, making service accessible and as quick as possible.” That strategy appears to have registered with AIN’s readers, who gave the company the highest score among engine OEMs this year in AOG response (9.09), as well as an 8.89 in the parts availability category.
Shettler told AIN that expanding its maintenance capabilities is also a priority. “We have nearly completed upgrading all service centers to full line service status, empowering them with enhanced capabilities to further reduce downtime for our operators,” he added. Williams expects to have all the remaining authorized service centers reach that plateau in the near future.
In terms of cost per hour programs, Williams tallied second-­highest in the category among jet engine producers, with a 7.70 score from our survey respondents. Shettler said that the OEM’s Total Assurance Program (TAP Blue) engine maintenance plan offers coverage no competitors can match, even including repair of foreign object damage and incorporation of all service bulletins. “Enrolling in our TAP Blue program means owners and operators can enjoy worry-free maintenance done at authorized service facilities, with costs covered by the program,” he said, adding that the program is a “guarantee of the highest quality maintenance performed by highly skilled and trained technicians through approved service centers.”

<h2>Rolls-Royce</h2>
Rolls-Royce landed in third place with an overall average score of 8.43 for turbofans. Known for producing the BR700/Pearl families that drive top end business jets such as Gulfstream’s and Bombardier’s large-cabin models, and Dassault Falcon’s under-development 10X, as well as the Tay that powers legacy Gulfstreams such as the GIV and G450, the manufacturer earned its highest category score, as well as the top score among jet engine manufacturers in the overall engine reliability category (9.44), buoyed by the BR700 series share of the category’s top engine score (9.49). The Tay led all engine lines in warranty fulfillment with a near-perfect score of 9.83.
“Over the past year, Rolls-Royce has advanced product and customer support through targeted investments in our dedicated business aviation support network that directly address what our operators value most: unmatched aircraft availability, speed of service, and world-class customer support,” said Lindsey Stuss Gillen, the powerplant maker’s v-p of sales and marketing for business aviation. “We are constantly listening to our customers—what they want drives what we do.
“Rolls-Royce has invested over a billion dollars in its global services network to ensure unmatched parts availability and rapid response worldwide,” Gillen told AIN. “We have never experienced an AOG due to a lack of spare parts or lease engines.”

<h2>Pratt &amp; Whitney</h2>
Prolific engine manufacturer Pratt &amp; Whitney is celebrating its centennial anniversary this year. It is well represented in AIN’s Product Support Survey: Engines, with listings in three separate markets: turbofans, turboprops, and turboshafts. Pratt &amp; Whitney Canada (P&amp;WC), the RTX subsidiary’s general aviation engine division, is based in Longueuil, Quebec, near Montreal, and produces the company’s smaller products.
P&amp;WC engines power a wide span of business jets ranging from the Embraer Phenom 300 to the Cessna Latitude, to the Dassault Falcon 8X, and they earned the manufacturer an overall average in 2025 of 8.01. Its highest score came in the overall engine reliability category with an 8.88, aided by the PW500 (9.37) and the PW300 (8.53).
In an effort to bolster its AOG response, which earned a 7.67 from AIN’s readers this year, the company strengthened its worldwide mobile repair team network, improving responsiveness and coverage for operators across regions.
“We are making major strides in our Zero TSO exchange program, which provides customers with access to freshly overhauled engines at zero time since overhaul,” said Anthony Rossi, P&amp;WC’s v-p of customer service. “This unlocks faster, more flexible solutions by removing the wait associated with traditional overhauls.” He noted that customers are responding enthusiastically to the speed and simplicity of the exchange concept—exchanging engines as opposed to overhauling them—and the company is increasingly introducing them into both new and existing support agreements. “Engine exchanges are a one-and-done option for customers, offering a single removal and installation, which helps reduce downtime and simplifies logistics, while eliminating the need for a rental engine,” Rossi told AIN.
Lastly, P&amp;WC introduced a TBO extension on the PW306D1 as used on the Citation Latitude, increasing intervals from 6,000 hours to 8,000 hours to maximize engine availability and reduce operating costs.
<h2>Turboprops</h2>
Meanwhile, among turboprops, P&amp;WC’s venerable PT6 family earned the highest score among engine makers in the overall engine reliability category with a 9.53. High scores include 8.95 for technical manuals and 8.96 for warranty fulfillment.
<h2>Turboshafts</h2>
Among the makers of helicopter powerplants, only Pratt &amp; Whitney Canada received enough ratings to qualify for this year’s AIN Product Support Survey and brought in a turboshaft overall average score of 8.19. For overall engine reliability, our readers gave it a score of 9.14, along with an 8.09 in AOG response, 8.66 for technical reps, and a 7.51 in the parts availability categories.

<h2>Honeywell</h2>
Through the various acquisitions and mergers over its history, Honeywell traces its roots in aerospace back more than 100 years. The TFE731 engine recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, and Honeywell’s HTF7000 family entered service in 2004. In the ensuing 20-plus years, it has equipped a wide range of midsize and super-midsize business jets from a variety of airframers, including the Bombardier Challenger 300 series, Cessna’s Citation Longitude, the Embraer Legacy 450/500 and Praetor 500/600, and the Gulfstream G280. While Honeywell garnered an overall average score of 7.57 in turbofans, its HTF7000 authorized service center network received a high score of 9.29 among engine lines in this year’s survey.
The company’s engine division, which is preparing to be spun off next year as part of Phoenix-based Honeywell Aerospace Technologies, received the highest score for jet engines in the authorized service center category in this year’s survey (8.93).&nbsp;
Over the past year, the manufacturer introduced Honeywell Ensemble, an AI-based enhancement to its Maintenance Service Plan (MSP) program, and installed it on its first HTF engine to provide proactive monitoring of engine health.
According to the company, Ensemble simplifies MSP usage, provides enhanced engine performance insights, improves aircraft uptime, and helps operators avoid unexpected maintenance downtime. “Ensemble eliminates the need for operators to manually download and send data to Honeywell,” said Kyle Grzywacz, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies’ general manager for engines. “[It] monitors engine conditions in almost real time and automatically downloads and transmits the data after every flight, which makes it easy for maintenance teams to detect, analyze, and proactively address potential issues.”
At its Phoenix maintenance center, Honeywell is increasing repair capabilities to improve product flow lines and double its capacity, Grzywacz told AIN. To further lessen aircraft downtime, Honeywell has added 40 rental engines.
<h2>Turboprops</h2>
Honeywell’s TPE331 turboprop engine was originally designed by Garrett AiResearch in the late 1950s. It has seen dozens of variants and upgrades over its nearly 70 years of service and powers legacy aircraft such as the Mitsubishi MU-2, Beechcraft King Air B100, and Rockwell Turbo Commander. While Honeywell continues to manufacture and service the TPE331 to support them, it is no longer offered as a factory-delivered engine on a new business turboprop. But on the support front,&nbsp; the manufacturer’s turboprop segment received the overall highest score in the authorized service center category (9.13).&nbsp;

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In this article

GE Aerospace

Pratt & Whitney

Rolls-Royce

Williams International

Honeywell

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