MTU Maintenance has opened its new MTU Maintenance Zhuhai Jinwan facility focusing on Pratt & Whitney PW1100G geared turbofan (GTF) engines.
The engine shop is the Germany-headquartered MRO provider’s second in China and is located around 12 mi. from its existing operation in Zhuhai. The new facility will have capacity for up to 260 engine shop visits annually once ramped up to full capacity. It will operate with an initial staff of around 280 employees and grow to around 600 engine specialists once it is at full capacity.
MTU Maintenance Zhuhai, a joint venture between MTU Aero Engines and China Southern Airlines, first announced plans for its Jinwan branch in late 2020.
In summer 2023, it opened a 60,000-lb.-thrust test cell at the new site catering for the GTF engine, which at the time the company said gave it capacity for approximately 710 tests annually.
That same summer, MTU gained approval for PW1100G-JM for Airbus A320neo aircraft from the FAA, European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the Civil Aviation Administration of China. The certification added to its existing capabilities at the Zhuhai facility, which include CFM International CFM56 and Leap engines, International Aero Engines V2500 and PW1000G engines.
Construction of the main Jinwan facility commenced in summer 2023 and was completed in a timeframe of 18 months. It is comprised of more than 30,000 m2 (approx. 323,000 ft.2) of additional, state-of-the-art facilities, including cleaning, non-destructive testing, inspection and repair areas as well as engine and module assembly and disassembly lines.
In the long term, the business wants both combined Chinese sites to become the largest MRO facility in the world, with a capacity of more than 700 shop visits targeted.
Zeng Yongchao, vice general manager of China Southern Airlines Group, says the new engine facility will compliment its existing operation in nearby Zhuhai. “With the coordinated layout of two factories, MTU Maintenance Zhuhai has established core advantages to seize the opportunity of strong growth in the global engine MRO market in the coming years,” he says.
Meanwhile, Lars Wagner, CEO of MTU Aero Engines, adds: “We made this timely investment in our network to increase capacity and provide the best possible service to our customers. We look forward to supporting the GTF network as the in-service fleet continues to grow.”
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