Williams International Ranks #2 in AIN's 2026 Engine Support Survey and Tops the Authorized Service Center Category

The October 2026 issue of Aviation International News published its annual Product Support Survey: Engines, in which business aviation operators rate the aftermarket support they get from engine manufacturers. For the second year in a row, Pontiac-based Williams International finished second among turbofan engine makers, with an overall average of 8.41.

One number in the results table stands out for Citation owners. Williams scored 9.40 in the Authorized Service Centers category. That was the highest rating any turbofan manufacturer received in any category of the survey.

Michigan Aviation is an authorized Williams International dealer at Oakland County International Airport, about ten minutes from Williams' Pontiac headquarters. We sell and service the full FJ44 series that powers the Cessna Citation line. We also support aircraft enrolled in Williams' Total Assurance Program (TAP) and TAP Blue, so covered engine work keeps moving with minimal downtime.

Here's what the survey found and what it means if you fly a Williams-powered Citation in Michigan or the Great Lakes region.

The 2026 results at a glance

AIN readers rated each manufacturer across ten support categories. Here's how the turbofan OEMs compared on overall average and authorized service centers:

Source: AIN 2026 Product Support Survey: Engines, October 2026.

Williams' other standout scores included:

• Factory-owned service centers: 8.95, the highest among turbofan OEMs
• Parts availability: 8.52, second-highest among turbofan OEMs
• Overall engine reliability: 9.27

Why the authorized service center score matters

Most of an engine's life is spent between overhauls, and the people who see it most are the technicians at your home base. Williams has built its support model around that idea. In the article, Steve Shettler, Williams' vice president of customer experience, told AIN that for everyday line-level maintenance, the company relies on its authorized service centers, all of which receive comprehensive training from Williams. When work goes beyond line level, Williams' own repair station takes the lead and often works alongside the service center to complete the job at the aircraft's location.

In practice, that means:

• Less downtime.Routine work happens where your airplane already is. You don't ferry it to a factory facility.
• Factory-trained technicians. Authorized dealers are trained by Williams on the engines they support.
• A direct line to the OEM. When something needs more than line maintenance, the dealer and Williams work the problem together.

AIN readers gave that model a 9.40, and it's the support Michigan Aviation provides at KPTK.

FJ44 engines across the Citation line

The Williams FJ44 family powers the Citation light jets. As an authorized dealer, Michigan Aviation sells and services the full series, including the FJ44-1, -2, -3 and -4 variants:

CitationJet (CJ) and CJ1 / CJ1+

FJ44-1 series

Citation CJ2 / CJ2+

FJ44-2 / FJ44-3 series

Citation CJ3 / CJ3+

FJ44-3 series

Citation CJ4

FJ44-4 series

TAP and TAP Blue support

Williams' Total Assurance Program (TAP) and TAP Blue are hourly engine programs that cover scheduled and unscheduled engine maintenance for enrolled aircraft. If your engines are on TAP or TAP Blue, Michigan Aviation can handle covered work directly as an authorized Williams dealer. We coordinate with Williams so the work gets approved and done without the back-and-forth that keeps an airplane on the ground.

Not enrolled yet? Engine program coverage also affects your aircraft's resale value. We can walk you through how TAP coverage works with your current engine times.

What we do on Williams engines at KPTK

Michigan Aviation is an FAA-certified maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility at KPTK. For Williams-powered Citations, our maintenance team offers:

That includes on-wing field and line maintenance, plus on-site avionics and heated hangar space in the same building.

A Pontiac story

Williams International has been headquartered in Pontiac for decades, and it's still investing here. According to AIN, the company has a planned $200 million expansion of its development and testing center at its Pontiac headquarters. It is also building a new engine manufacturing plant in Crestview, Florida, and recently added a location in Ogden, Utah. Williams reports a fleet that will exceed 8,500 engines this year, with more than 23 million total flight hours.

For Michigan Citation operators, having the engine maker and an authorized Williams dealer within a few miles of each other is an advantage worth using.