CHICAGO—Swiss MRO SR Technics is on course to induct its first Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan (GTF) engine this summer at its MRO facility in Zurich while planning to take a gradual approach to ramping up its CFM International Leap engine service offerings.
SR Technics signed terms to join the GTF network two years ago and since then, it has invested heavily in equipment and tooling for the new-generation engine. In January 2024, it started heavy maintenance training for technicians and expects to induct its first GTF this summer.
Caroline Vandedrinck, senior vice president business development at SR Technics, says the company is in the middle of constructing a second test cell in Zurich catering to GTF, Leap and CFM56 engines. The company announced plans to reactivate the test cell in mid-2022. “The calibration and testing will be done in the second half of the year,” Vandedrinck says.
To date, SR Technics undertakes light repairs on the GTF on behalf of the OEM--and it has inducted several Leap-1A engines with two already being returned to the customer. “Our plan is to go deeper on those (Leap) workscopes over time, but unlike the GTF where we are really going in from day one, we’ll take a slower approach and learn the engine,” she says. The Leap is in an open network, so she says you don’t get as much support as you do in a closed network.
While the company is moving ahead with its next-generation narrowbody engine moves, Vandedrinck says it cannot allow its legacy engine programs--comprised of CFM56 and PW4000 engines--to be jeopardized. Vandedrinck says the company is housing new engine programs in separate buildings from its legacy products overseen by different teams and management.
In terms of people recruitment, SR Technics is recruiting for both its legacy and new-generation businesses. “We’re recruiting more than 400 people over the next couple of years to the new business as we ramp up,” she says. The maintenance provider will also recruit around 100 people annually to its legacy business--looking at Switzerland and European Union member states to source talent to add its workforce.
About one year ago, SR Technics announced the formation of the Sustainable Engine Alliance with logistics specialist Kuehne+Nagel and cargo airline Atlas Air. Initiatives include pushing digital services for emission transparency; reduction and avoidance of environmentally harmful materials; deploying sustainable fuels; and engine stand management solutions.
Vandedrinck says the alliance is determining what value it can potentially offer to additional members, with the alliance open to adding new members in the form of OEMs or airlines.
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