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MTU Maintenance Zhuhai to maintain, repair and overhaul LEAP engines
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).
[1] The LEAP engine is a product of CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines
About MTU Aero Engines
MTU Aero Engines AG is Germany's leading engine manufacturer. The company is a technological leader in low-pressure turbines, high-pressure compressors, turbine center frames as well as manufacturing processes and repair techniques. In the commercial OEM business, the company plays a key role in the development, manufacturing and marketing of high-tech components together with international partners. Some 30 percent of today’s active aircraft in service worldwide have MTU components on board. In the commercial maintenance sector the company ranks among the top 5 service providers for commercial aircraft engines and industrial gas turbines. The activities are combined under the roof of MTU Maintenance. In the military arena, MTU Aero Engines is Germany's industrial lead company for practically all engines operated by the country's military. MTU operates a network of locations around the globe; Munich is home to its corporate headquarters. In fiscal 2018, the company had a workforce of some 10,000 employees and posted consolidated sales of approximately 4.6 billion euros.