Manufacturers, MROs manage engines with AI

The role of artificial intelligence in the engine market will increase as manufacturers, MROs and carriers integrate solutions that maximize efficiency while reducing costs and turnaround times. GE Aerospace collaborated with Microsoft about six months ago to introduce a system within ChatGPT that enhances employee work performance while using the AI program to analyze, trace and maintain accurate engine data records, David Harper, fleet support director of customer and product support operations at the Cincinnati-based firm, said at Aero-Engines Americas 2025 last week in Fort Worth, Texas. [caption id="attachment_57148561" align="aligncenter" width="935"] The AI panel at Aero-Engines Americas 2025. (Photo/Cargo Facts)[/caption] “We’ve had 2,500 users every day, 1.5 million inquiries now,” Harper said. “And that’s helped to sort of break down the fear people might have had about AI because now they can use it for themselves.” Building confidence AI is not new to the aviation industry — GE Aerospace started using it nearly a decade ago. But now, the manufacturer, which develops engines including the CFM56, CF6 and GE90, has incorporated AI into its digital philosophy to improve engine quality and production speed, Harper said. The application of data science also aids engineers and operators with engine monitoring and diagnostics, particularly during shop visits, to reduce turnaround time, he added. “We’re looking for small places where we think there’s value. We can go test before we can scale bigger and make sure that we’re seeing the difference that we expect,” Harper said. “And then we can take it bigger when we feel confident.” GE Aerospace and GA Telesis are among companies increasing their use of AI to enhance proficiency in supply chain, logistics, maintenance and airline operations. GA Telesis recently began applying advanced analytics to its maintenance forecast modeling of assets in and out of service, including the ability to trace the history of engine components, parts and materials, Jason Reed, president of the company’s digital innovation group, said during the discussion. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based company integrated AI into its supply chain nearly nine years ago to improve procurement, repair activity and internal processing, Reed said. Evolving with AI Microsoft Global Technology Strategist James Marzola said AI is widespread across every industry, evolving from machine learning a few years ago to anomaly detection, visual inspections across several spectrums, and now generative AI and large language models. “We’ve helped organizations use it from a safety perspective, using cameras and taking information and providing ways that you can increase productivity through safety and enhancing that capability through from a design flow perspective, so not just at the front end or the back end in reverse maintenance,” he said. GE Aerospace uses supervised machine learning models in its remote monitoring diagnostics to detect subtle changes in engine performance and components, Harper said. “It allows us to see things 60% earlier,” he said. “Typically, we get a better detection rate and cut the number of false positives down by about half, so that technology has been very helpful.” AI can use visual technology to complete borescope inspections, improving detection of components that need to be repaired by 30% and reducing the cycle time for engine maintenance by nearly 50%, he added. Register now for Cargo Facts' essential regional events for industry stakeholders: Cargo Facts LATAM 2025 on Feb. 10-11 at the Pullman Sao Paulo Guarulhos Airport in Brazil; Cargo Facts Asia 2025 on March 24-26 at the W Shanghai in China; and Cargo Facts EMEA 2025 on May 6-8 at the Shangri-La Bosphorus in Turkey.

Manufacturers, MROs manage engines with AI

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