Engine makers slightly more positive about supply chain recovery

UPDATE April 26 – Engine makers Pratt & Whitney and GE Aerospace are seeing progress made within the supply chain, with parts production and inventory improving in the first quarter. But overall, the supply chain

remains challenging from the performance and cost perspective. The two parent companies, Raytheon Technologies, and General Electric, presented their Q1 results on April 25. Engine makers slightly more positive about supply chain recovery.

GE Aerospace’s Larry Culp said: “In the supply chain, we saw areas of improvement with material inputs and LEAP shipments improving sequentially, thanks largely to our lean efforts. However, output continued to be impacted by material availability and supplier challenges, particularly in defense, where revenues declined by two percent.”

“While we experienced stabilization in some areas, such as electronics, we continue to experience challenges in castings, forgings, raw materials, and machining,” said Raytheon Chief Operating Officer Chris Calio. Structural castings were up by thirty percent in Q1 over last year, so that is promising. There are still some labor constraints, but P&W is positive that it will be able to meet Airbus’ production rates toward the end of the year.