Chris Kjelgaard

MTU Aero Engines expects customers in Asia to provide a continuously growing share of its overall engine-MRO business throughout the next decade and for China to account for an increasing proportion of MTU’s overall Asian MRO work throughout that period.

 


Today, Asia accounts for a quarter of all engine-MRO shop visits handled by MTU Maintenance. However, by 2030 Asian customers will provide about a third of all shop visits, according to Martin Friis-Petersen, senior v-p for MRO programs for MTU Aero Engines (Chalet J65). By then, customers in China will be generating approximately half of MTU Maintenance’s Asia-originating engine shop visits.

 


MTU Maintenance unit has two separate engine-MRO businesses. As a member of the licensed MRO networks operated by various engine OEMs, MTU’s OEM MRO business performs repairs and overhauls under contract for CFM International, Pratt &amp; Whitney, GE Aviation and others. However, MTU Maintenance’s separate Independent business is a standalone provider of engine MRO for a wide variety of customers worldwide. Friis-Petersen told AIN that Asia already accounts for a “disproportionate” share of MTU Maintenance’s independent engine-MRO work, providing MTU with 40 percent of its standalone business.

 


MTU sees Asia continuing to offer strong engine-MRO business prospects throughout the foreseeable future. “Its macro-economics are displaying disproportionate growth,” said Friis-Petersen. “Asia will grow faster than we see other regions growing, and we expect China to be the dominant marketplace in Asia for MRO going forward.”

 


Friis-Petersen attributes MTU’s strong market position in Asia partly to the fact that its MTU Maintenance Zhuhai 50/50 engine-MRO joint venture with China Southern Airlines has been operating for nearly 20 years. Now MTU Maintenance Zhuhai is undergoing its second major capacity expansion within 10 years. When complete by year-end, the expanded facility will be able to handle 450 engine shop visits annually.

 


MTU Maintenance’s overall engine-MRO strategy, particularly in Asia, is to concentrate on the large and growing volume of business offered by engines powering mainline single-aisle aircraft types, rather than on widebody engines, according to Friis-Petersen. Today the key engine types for MTU are the CFM56-5B, the CFM56-7B, and the IAE V2500-A5. Numbers of shop visits for those three engines are increasing rapidly but most examples haven’t ever yet been inducted, he said. At some point well in the future, MTU’s engine-MRO emphasis will gradually switch to the new-generation Leap and PW1000G families.

 


MTU Maintenance also is strongly positioned in other large Asian markets such as Malaysia, India, Vietnam, and Korea, Friis-Petersen said. In Malaysia, MTU and Lufthansa Technik have operated the ASSB joint venture to repair high-pressure compressor and low-pressure turbine airfoils for CFM56, V2500, CF6-80C2, and GP7200 engines since 1991. The facility is expanding so it can handle 900,000 airfoil repairs annually, up from today’s 650,000.

 


On November 25 MTU Maintenance announced a 10-year contract to provide engine MRO for more than 100 CFM56-7Bs powering Malaysia Airlines’ fleet of Boeing 737-800s. MTU Maintenance Zhuhai will manage that contract, but MTU will continue to provide MRO capacity in at least two separate locations for every engine type it handles, said Friis-Petersen.

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

MTU Expects Particularly Strong MRO Business Growth from Asia

Asia will provide a third of MTU’s engine-MRO shop visits by 2030 and China will account for half of the company’s Asian total.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Sarah Rose

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

"Supply chain is affecting a lot of things right now."

Engines Leaders Rev Up for 2025

Charles Alcock

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

Chinese eVTOL aircraft manufacturer has also made its first passenger demonstration flights in Thailand

EHang Seeks Higher-performance eVTOL Electric Propulsion Systems

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

Issues regarding financing of aircraft; aviation insurance; tax issues for aircraft operators; new companies and people in the aviation financing and insurance industries.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

Trading update reports strong demand in the commercial airliner engines sector

Rolls-Royce Confirms Closure of Electric Propulsion Unit

News and developments about aviation fuel, including jet fuel, aviation gasoline, and biofuel.

RTX company Pratt & Whitney Canada is part of the government-backed INSAT program

Hydrogen Combustion Test To Start on PW127XT Turboprop Engine

Companies signed a new memorandum of understanding to expand their collaboration

ZeroAvia and PowerCell Agree To Scale Up Fuel Cell Partnership

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

2020 Singapore Airshow

More In Engines

Engines Leaders Rev Up for 2025

"Supply chain is affecting a lot of things right now."

EHang Seeks Higher-performance eVTOL Electric Propulsion Systems

Chinese eVTOL aircraft manufacturer has also made its first passenger demonstration flights in Thailand

Rolls-Royce Confirms Closure of Electric Propulsion Unit

Trading update reports strong demand in the commercial airliner engines sector

Hydrogen Combustion Test To Start on PW127XT Turboprop Engine

RTX company Pratt & Whitney Canada is part of the government-backed INSAT program

ZeroAvia and PowerCell Agree To Scale Up Fuel Cell Partnership

Companies signed a new memorandum of understanding to expand their collaboration

Rolls-Royce Expands Capacity and Predictability in Engine Support

A new hangar in Indianapolis and better access to engine data are boosting the CorporateCare program

Honeywell Ensemble Offers Real-time Engine Monitoring

The solution provides automated data reporting for business jet turbofan engines

Skydiving Operator Commits to Electric Caravan Aircraft

Norway's Skydive Voss, Dovetail Electric Aviation and Scandinavian Seaplanes will conduct flight tests

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN