At, For, and With the Customer: How a Dozen Field Service Engineers Help Keep 1,700 Aircraft Engines in the Air

In a region like the Middle East, where airplanes take off day and night, being available 24/7 is just part of the job for GE Aerospace's commercial field service engineers (FSE). Master jugglers and out-of-the-box thinkers, this team of a dozen dedicated engine specialists plays a key role in keeping more than 1,700 GE Aerospace engines flying safely. Part of the company's commitment to durability and reliability, this team is the first on call when there's a problem.

Embedded on-site with customers in Abu Dhabi, Amman, Doha, Dubai, Muscat, and Riyadh, they serve as the link between the global capabilities of GE Aerospace and local airlines and are able to reach into the company's ecosystem to get to the product support engineers who have the deepest expertise on each engine. This gives them the ability to help customers with even the most complex or technical issues, by drawing on a distinct set of skills not often found in a single person: extensive aircraft engine knowledge, a cool head under pressure, strong communications skills, a proactive approach, and creative problem-solving.

Their scope of work is vast. They support airlines with fleet planning. They work with airline technical services teams to address mechanical or operational questions to resolve maintenance and service issues. They suggest procedural enhancements to improve engine durability and availability, and they use predictive analytics to anticipate engine fleet needs and develop contingency plans to handle unplanned maintenance.

"This team helps to resolve all types of engine issues by sharing GE Aerospace expertise with the customer's engineering teams," says Alaa Ibrahim, Middle East regional leader for GE Aerospace Commercial Field Service. "In some cases, the request and issue resolution are urgent in order to get an aircraft ready for its next flight. This usually involves a lot of quick back-and-forth discussion to ensure the customer engineers understand the issues and what's required."

A Focus on Durability

In their day-to-day work, FSEs are accustomed to quickly resolving issues to get engines flying again. Sometimes, however, their input can help lead to significant engine program changes, particularly when it comes to durability.

When GE Aerospace and customers in the Middle East found that the GEnx engine's initial blade configuration wasn't performing as expected, FSEs played a crucial role in the redesign feedback loop between the airline engineers and GE Aerospace product design engineers. Through several rounds of feedback facilitated by the FSE team, a blade design change was developed that met customer durability expectations in the region's hot and harsh climate.

Above and Beyond

Given the nature of the industry, being an FSE is far from a routine job, says Karen I'Anson, executive leader of GE Aerospace Commercial Field Service. "These are airlines that have 24/7 operations, and when they have an engine-related event or issue, the FSE is their first point of contact for resolution," she says.

In addition to addressing immediate customer requests, FSEs leverage GE Aerospace's digital engine fleet monitoring system, in partnership with the GE Aerospace Fleet Support Remote Monitoring & Diagnostics team, "to ensure we have all the data needed to understand the status of every engine," Ibrahim says.

Leveraging this data, FSEs proactively monitor customer fleets to inform operators when an engine needs servicing earlier than planned. In response, airlines can adjust to prevent an impact on flight schedules. Additionally, the FSE tries to ensure airlines have a sufficient stock of swappable engine components that are regularly replaced. They provide advance notice to customers about required engine or component upgrades, facilitating smoother operations.

FSEs also share the company's expertise in enhancing engine durability, reliability, and availability through on-wing technology solutions such as GE Aerospace 360 Foam Wash and water washes and guiding customer technicians in the best way to deploy AI-enabled borescope blade inspection tools.

Out of the Box

FSEs, Ibrahim says, are more than just diligent. "They are known by our customers as out-of-the-box thinkers and true problem solvers. They are creative about solutions within the rigid safety framework of our industry. Our customers really appreciate that."

L'Anson adds that exceptional people skills are one reason for this reputation. "Field service engineers don't just establish relationships with customers - they excel at maintaining them, even under intense pressure and over extended periods. This ability to build and sustain strong relationships is crucial, especially in challenging situations, and it plays a vital role in their success."

Those interpersonal skills are equally important when implementing another valuable service: operational improvements enabled by FLIGHT DECK, GE Aerospace's proprietary lean operating model. With continuous improvement as a guiding principle, FSEs work with GE Aerospace's FLIGHT DECK experts to conduct kaizen events at customer sites, examining operational pain points and then working with the teams on the ground to improve processes, reduce turnaround times, and lower costs.

Although their work focuses on incredibly complex aircraft engines, for FSEs it is all about the customer. "This team is at the customer, for the customer, with the customer," I'Anson says. "They are proud to work together to help GE Aerospace engines lift people up and bring them home safely."