MTU Maintenance set to expand again in China for Pratt & Whitney's GTF
Romain Guillot
 le 03/12/2020 , Maintenance aéronautique
MTU Maintenance Zhuhai, the joint venture founded by MTU Aero Engines and China Southern, will set up a new engine shop in Jinwan district, near Zhuhai airport. MTU Maintenance Zhuhai facilities are located for their part Zhuhai free zone, near Macau.
The new MRO center, known as MTU Maintenance Zhuhai Co., Ltd. Jinwan Branch, will have an initial annual capacity of 250 shop-visits when it will open in 2024. It will be dedicated mainly to Pratt & Whitney's GTF engines and will have its own test cell compatible with thrust of up to 65,000 pounds (289 kN). The German engine manufacturer specifies that the new site will employ around 600 highly qualified employees.
" We have made the decision to invest in an additional facility as we are confident of continued recovery in the Asian region and increasing growth and demand for narrowbody engine services moving forward," said Michael Schreyögg, Chief Program Officer at MTU Aero Engines.
MTU Maintenance Zhuhai is dedicated to the maintenance of IAE V2500-A5 engines and for CFM International CFM56-3/-5B/-7B engines, with more than 300 shop visits carried out each year a total of more than 70 customers including China Southern, Shenzhen Airlines, Xiamen Airlines and Hainan Airlines in China. The facility has just been expanded to increase its existing capacity by 50 percent, to 450 shop visits per year, and completed its 3,000th engine overhaul a few days ago, a V2500 from its joint venture partner.
"Its close proximity to MTU Maintenance Zhuhai will enable significant knowledge transfer and synergies between the two facilities," added Jaap Beijer, President and CEO of MTU Maintenance Zhuhai, which will take the responsibility of both facilities.
The announcement of the new facility in Jinwan for the GTF comes just weeks after Pratt & Whitney revealed that the Chinese maintenance company Ameco, a joint venture between Air China and Lufthansa Technik will be the tenth MRO center in the world and the first in China to be able to support this type of engines, with a capability that will be implemented in the next few days.
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