IR-News details

Zhuhai, September 10, 2019 -- MTU Maintenance Zhuhai announces that it now has the capability to maintain CFM International ¹⁾ LEAP engines. The General Support License Agreement (GSLA) signed between China Southern, MTU Maintenance Zhuhai’s 50/50 joint venture partner alongside MTU Aero Engines, and CFM International will enable the facility to maintain, repair and overhaul LEAP-1A and -1B engines. The first quick turn LEAP-1B engine was inducted today. Alongside the newly introduced capabilities, MTU Maintenance Zhuhai is also celebrating groundbreaking on its 50 percent expansion today, taking it to a capacity of 450 shop visits by 2021.

“We are delighted to announce that we will be incorporating the LEAP into our engine MRO portfolio,” says Michael Schreyögg, Chief Program Officer. “With around 30 engines in service, MTU Maintenance has the largest engine portfolio worldwide. The next generation LEAP engine is a natural evolution, especially in Zhuhai, where we are the largest narrow-body engine shop in Asia and already experts for the CFM56 engine family.”

The fleet of CFM International’s advanced LEAP engine is building up rapidly, logging more than five million engine flight hours through August, just three years after commencing commercial service.

MTU Maintenance Zhuhai has carried out significant preparations for the implementation of the LEAP program at its facility in the Zhuhai Free Trade Zone, close to Hong Kong and Macao. These include the procurement of tooling and testing equipment, review of technical documents, employee training as well as obtaining the necessary aviation authority approvals.

Set up in 2001, MTU Maintenance Zhuhai is the number one engine shop in China and specialized in V2500 and CFM56 engines. The company is in the process of expanding its capacity by 50 percent for the second time in less than ten years. The shop holds roughly 20 approvals, amongst others from the CAAC (Civil Aviation Administration of China), the European EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency), the US-FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) and the by JCAB (Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau).

About MTU Aero Engines

MTU Aero Engines AG is Germany’s leading engine manufacturer, with core competencies in low-pressure turbines, high-pressure compressors, turbine center frames, manufacturing processes and repair techniques. MTU plays a key role in the new engine market through its partnership in many international development, manufacturing and sales programs, to which it contributes its high-tech components. One third of the global fleet of passenger airliners relies on components supplied by MTU. MTU is one of the world’s top 5 providers of maintenance services for commercial aircraft engines and industrial gas turbines. These activities are combined under the roof of MTU Maintenance. In the military sector, MTU Aero Engines is the lead industrial partner for almost every type of engine flown by the German armed forces. MTU operates affiliates around the globe; its corporate headquarters are based in Munich, Germany.

1) The LEAP engine is a product of CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines