MRO & Manufacturing
Collins Aerospace Cuts Aircraft Wheel Production to Seven Days
Collins Aerospace in Troy, Ohio reduced aircraft wheel manufacturing time from 45 to seven days with a new automated multitask machining cell.
This article is based on an official press release and company reporting from Collins Aerospace.
From WWII Gliders to “Wheels in a Week”: The Manufacturing Revolution at Collins Aerospace
In Troy, Ohio, a factory with deep roots in aviation history is undergoing a radical transformation. The facility, once known for producing the gliders that carried troops into World War II battles, has successfully implemented a new manufacturing initiative dubbed “Wheels in a Week.” According to Collins Aerospace, this program has slashed the production time for aircraft wheels by approximately 80 percent, reducing a 45-day process to just seven days.
The centerpiece of this efficiency drive is a new automated production cell described by the company as “tall and sleek, bigger than a phone booth but smaller than a passenger elevator.” This modernization effort highlights a broader shift within the aerospace sector, moving from traditional, fragmented machine shops to integrated, high-tech “Industry 4.0” environments.
A Historic Facility Reimagined
The Troy facility holds a significant place in American aviation heritage. Originally the home of the Waco Aircraft Company, the site was the largest manufacturer of civil aircraft in the United States during the late 1920s and early 1930s. During the Second World War, the factory pivoted to produce CG-4A gliders, which were essential for transporting heavy equipment and troops into combat zones.
Today, the site serves as a critical hub for Collins Aerospace, a Raytheon Technologies (RTX) business. While the brick-and-mortar backdrop remains, the interior operations have evolved. The “Wheels in a Week” initiative represents the latest chapter in this evolution, aiming to address the logistical challenges of modern aerospace manufacturing.
The “Wheels in a Week” Initiative
Historically, manufacturing an aircraft wheel at the Troy plant was a disjointed process. According to company reports, a single wheel would travel through five different legacy machines. This workflow required manual transport, setup, and handling at each stage, resulting in a production timeline of approximately 45 days from raw forging to finished part.
The new initiative sought to compress this timeline drastically. By consolidating these steps, Collins Aerospace reports that they have met their ambitious goal of a seven-day turnaround.
“Cutting time by 10 percent, that’s something we’re going to go do. Cutting it by 80 percent? That is a monumental effort that’s going to require all of us together to make it successful.”
, Greg Smith, Director of Operations, Collins Aerospace (Troy, OH)
Technological Consolidation
The reduction in lead time is largely attributed to the introduction of a multitask machining center. Described in company materials as having “white walls and red doors,” this machine performs both lathe work (spinning and turning) and mill work (cutting and grinding) in a single setup.
Previously, these tasks required five separate machines. The new automated cell features a pallet-changing system that loads and unloads parts without human intervention inside the machine. This consolidation eliminates the “white space”, or idle time, that occurred when parts were moved between stations.
Impact on Safety and Flexibility
Beyond speed, the automation has introduced significant safety improvements. By removing the need for workers to manually lift and fixture heavy wheel forgings multiple times, the physical strain on operators is reduced. The role of the workforce has subsequently shifted from manual labor to technical oversight, involving programming and monitoring of the automated cells.
Troy Brunk, President of Collins Aerospace, emphasized the strategic value of this flexibility in a company statement.
“Taking 45 days of lead time down to seven creates more flexibility for us and our customers. When we think big, we can do a lot of things.”
, Troy Brunk, President, Collins Aerospace
The ability to switch between different wheel models rapidly allows the factory to handle smaller batches and urgent orders more effectively, a crucial capability in a supply chain often beset by fluctuations in demand.
AirPro News Analysis
The success of the “Wheels in a Week” program at Collins Aerospace illustrates a critical trend in the aerospace supply chain: the necessity of resilience through speed. By reducing lead times by 80 percent, manufacturers do not just save money; they insulate themselves against upstream disruptions. When a production cycle takes 45 days, a raw material delay is a crisis. When it takes seven days, the system can recover and pivot much faster.
Furthermore, the cultural shift mentioned by Scott Parkin, VP of Operations for Advanced Structures, suggests that the barrier to modernization is often as much about mindset as it is about machinery. The transition from a “grime and grease” shop to a clean, automated facility requires buy-in from the workforce, proving that Industry 4.0 is as much a human resources challenge as a technological one.
Sources
Sources: Collins Aerospace / RTX
Photo Credit: RTX
MRO & Manufacturing
FL Technics Opens $70M MRO Facility in Punta Cana
FL Technics and Grupo Puntacana launch a $70M heavy MRO facility in the Dominican Republic with FAA Part 145 certification.
FL Technics and Grupo Puntacana have officially commenced operations at a new $70 million heavy MRO facility at Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ), marking the launch with the arrival of the site’s first aircraft, an Airbus A320ceo.
Announced in a press release on August 12, 2026, the 20,000-square-meter hangar represents the first heavy maintenance center of its kind in the Dominican Republic. The facility serves as the inaugural dedicated heavy maintenance site in the Americas for FL Technics, a subsidiary of Avia Solutions Group. The site is designed to provide nearshore MRO capacity for narrow-body operators across North, Central, and South America.
JetBlue anchors initial operations following FAA certification
While the August 12 announcement did not explicitly name the operator of the first A320ceo to enter the hangar, FL Technics previously confirmed JetBlue Airways (B6) as the launch customer for the Punta Cana site. The April 2026 agreement established an early commercial anchor for Airbus A320 family airframe base maintenance.
The facility’s opening follows a rapid series of regulatory approvals. On June 16, 2026, FL Technics received RAD-145 Maintenance Organization certification from the Dominican Civil Aviation Institute (IDAC). One week later, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued the site a Part 145 Repair Station Certificate, clearing the facility to service US-registered aircraft.
Infrastructure expansion and local workforce development
The joint venture with Grupo Puntacana represents a $70 million investment in regional aviation infrastructure. In its initial phase, the facility operates five maintenance bays. FL Technics plans to expand the site to accommodate between 12 and 20 maintenance bays in future development phases.
The MRO center currently employs 300 skilled technical and support staff. At full operational scale, the company projects the workforce will grow to 2,000 employees.
“This first arrival is an important moment for our team and the country. It is evidence that high-level aviation maintenance can be delivered right here in the Dominican Republic,” said Mejico Angeles Lithgow, CEO of FL Technics in the Dominican Republic.
Lithgow noted that future expansion will rely heavily on local talent, with plans to launch a dedicated MRO academy to train technicians within the country.
Juozas Lapeika, Chief Base Maintenance Officer at FL Technics, framed the opening as a foundational move for the region.
“Our long-term mission is to bring safe and efficient aviation MRO services closer to our customers across the Americas while helping strengthen the aviation ecosystem in the regions where we operate,” Lapeika said.
AirPro News analysis
The activation of the Punta Cana facility highlights a broader industry shift toward nearshore maintenance solutions. As North American MRO facilities face persistent capacity constraints and workforce shortages, operators are increasingly looking to the Caribbean and Latin America for heavy maintenance on narrow-body fleets like the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 families. By securing FAA Part 145 certification ahead of its launch, FL Technics has positioned the Dominican Republic as a viable, geographically convenient alternative to sending aircraft out of the region for routine heavy checks. We expect this facility to attract significant interest from US-based airlines seeking predictable turnaround times for their narrow-body assets.
Sources: FL Technics
Photo Credit: FL Technics
MRO & Manufacturing
AMAC Aerospace Completes Five Boeing BBJ 737 MRO Programs
AMAC Aerospace completed concurrent maintenance and refurbishment on five Boeing BBJ 737s at its Basel, Switzerland facility.
AMAC Aerospace has completed concurrent maintenance and refurbishment programs on five Boeing BBJ 737 aircraft at its facility in Basel, Switzerland.
In a press release issued on August 10, 2026, the company detailed the varied scopes of work across the five airframes, demonstrating the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) provider’s capacity to handle simultaneous heavy inspections and interior upgrades for narrow-body VIP aircraft.
Scope of Boeing BBJ 737 maintenance
The maintenance packages ranged from routine flight-hour checks to extensive C checks and cabin refurbishments. According to the company, the specific work scopes included:
- Aircraft 1: A 1,000-flight-hour check performed alongside A, B1, and B2 inspections.
- Aircraft 2: B2 and B3 inspections.
- Aircraft 3: A B2 inspection combined with a water heater replacement.
- Aircraft 4: Extensive heavy maintenance featuring 1C and 2C inspections, a complete landing gear overhaul, and cabin interior work including seat refurbishment and galley countertop replacement.
- Aircraft 5: A standard B check.
Recent VIP aircraft redeliveries in Basel
The completion of these five aircraft follows a steady volume of Boeing Business Jet work at the Swiss facility. On February 23, 2026, AMAC Aerospace announced the redelivery of two other Boeing BBJ 737 aircraft following maintenance. One of those airframes, operated on behalf of a head of state, underwent A1, A2, and three-year inspections, along with a windshield replacement.
AirPro News analysis
The ability to process five Boeing BBJ 737s concurrently underscores the scale of AMAC Aerospace’s Basel operations. VIP aircraft maintenance requires specialized interior handling capabilities alongside standard commercial heavy maintenance approvals. By executing simultaneous C checks, landing gear overhauls, and bespoke cabin refurbishments, AMAC reinforces its position in the highly specialized VIP and head-of-state MRO market, where operators prioritize facilities that can minimize downtime by combining technical inspections with interior upgrades.
Sources: AMAC Aerospace
Photo Credit: AMAC Aerospace
MRO & Manufacturing
TP Aerospace Signs Wheels and Brakes Deal with Ascend Airways Malaysia
TP Aerospace and Ascend Airways Malaysia finalized a long-term 737-800 wheels and brakes support agreement in Kuala Lumpur.
TP Aerospace and Ascend Airways Malaysia finalized a long-term partnership agreement on August 12, 2026, to provide integrated wheels and brakes support for the carrier’s expanding Boeing 737-800 fleet.
Announced in a company press release, the agreement utilizes TP Aerospace’s local workshop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to deliver predictable maintenance costs and parts availability for the growing Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance (ACMI) operator.
Operational support and fleet expansion
Ascend Airways Malaysia, a subsidiary of the Avia Solutions Group, has rapidly scaled its operations over the past year. The carrier launched dedicated freighter services in November 2025 using Boeing 737-800(SF) aircraft and subsequently took delivery of its first passenger Boeing 737-800 on April 26, 2026.
To support this dual-mission fleet, the TP Aerospace contract includes exchange services, on-site stock provisioning, and comprehensive pool support. By localizing the component support in Kuala Lumpur, the agreement aims to reduce turnaround times for critical maintenance events.
Ascend Airways Malaysia Chief Executive Officer Germal Singh Khera stated that securing trusted partners is crucial as the airline scales its capacity.
“We are pleased to partner with TP Aerospace and are confident that their expertise, global resources and dedicated operational support will help us maintain smooth, consistent and reliable operations,” Khera said.
Regional growth strategy
The contract strengthens TP Aerospace’s position in the Asia-Pacific aviation market, a region experiencing high demand for localized component repair and overhaul services.
Philip Broskov Hansen, Vice President of Global Program Sales at TP Aerospace, noted that the integrated program is designed to ensure high dispatch reliability for the Malaysian operator.
“This partnership highlights our ability to deliver flexible and reliable solutions that support high operational uptime and cost predictability for growing operators,” Hansen said.
AirPro News analysis
We view this agreement as a standard but critical operational step for a scaling ACMI provider. ACMI business models rely heavily on dispatch reliability, as the operator is contracted to provide guaranteed capacity to other airlines. By securing a localized wheels and brakes pool in Kuala Lumpur, Ascend Airways Malaysia mitigates the risk of Aircraft on Ground (AOG) events caused by supply chain bottlenecks. For TP Aerospace, locking in a growing Avia Solutions Group subsidiary provides a stable revenue stream and justifies continued investment in its Southeast Asian maintenance infrastructure.
Sources: TP Aerospace
Photo Credit: Ascend Airways Malaysia
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