EVENDALE, Ohio, June 19 (Reuters) - A GE Aerospace

executive said on Wednesday global supply chains will

likely remain challenged even next year, despite a production

slowdown at Boeing ( BA ).

Russel Stokes, head of GE Aerospace's commercial engines and

services, said while the company is aligned with Boeing's ( BA )

production rates for this year, it is working with suppliers to

support a ramp up in production in coming years.

"I'm confident that over time things are going to get

better," he said. "But...it's still a challenged environment for

this year and probably next year."

GE Aerospace co-produces the engine for Boeing ( BA ) and Airbus

narrow-body jets with France's Safran through

their CFM joint venture, which is the sole supplier to Boeing's ( BA )

737 MAX family of jets.

Boeing's ( BA ) jet production has slowed sharply as regulatory

scrutiny has mounted since January when a door plug blew off an

Alaska Airlines jetliner in mid-air. GE Aerospace has

slashed estimates for LEAP jet engine production this year.

The slowdown could help a stretched supply chain catch up

with demand, but there is also a risk of it further worsening

the situation.

GE Aerospace CEO Larry Culp has attributed ongoing

supply-chain challenges to the pandemic, which led to a plunge

in air travel demand, forcing the aviation industry to lay off

thousands of workers.

Supply chain problems have left the global industry

hamstrung. They have not only made it tougher to increase jet

production, but have also increased the turnaround time at jet

engine repair shops.

Some airline CEOs have called engine repair delays a major

constraint for the industry.

GE Aerospace, which became an independent company this year,

has a dominant share in the engine market for narrowbody jets

and enjoys a strong position in widebodies. More than 70% of its

commercial engine revenue comes from parts and services.

Stokes said the company's equipment as well as services

businesses are grappling with material availability issues.

GE Aerospace has deployed 500 of its engineers at suppliers

and sub-suppliers sites and is using artificial intelligence to

get around the bottlenecks, company executive said.

It now plans to deploy a technology, which is used to

identify forged artwork, to detect chemical anomalies in metal

parts. It is part of the company's drive to reduce overall

turnaround time at its repair shops by 30% from a year ago.

Stokes said airlines want more engines to support their

fleet. "We're doing everything that we can in support of that,"

he said.