Pratt & Whitney has announced the induction of the first GTF engine for overhaul in China by MTU Maintenance Zhuhai. MTU Maintenance Zhuhai joined Pratt & Whitney’s GTF MRO network in December 2020, and has now become the first active GTF MRO in China.
On Tuesday (September 28, 2021), Pratt & Whitney announced the induction of the first GTF engine for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) in China with MTU Maintenance Zhuhai, a joint venture between MTU Aero Engines and Southern China Airline Company Limited. MTU joined Pratt & Whitney’s GTF MRO network in December 2020, and is now the first active FTF MRO facility in China. The shop inducted a PW1100G-JM engine, which powers the Airbus A320neo Family of aircraft. By the end of 2021, eleven airlines in China will be operating over 200 GTF powered A320neo Family aircraft in China.
In Tuesday’s announcement, Pratt & Whitney’s Vice President – Aftermarket Global Operations, Joe Sylvestro, said,
“This is a monumental achievement for the GTF MRO network. We formally welcomed MTU Maintenance Zhuhai to the network in December 2020, and now here we are in September sharing news about its first induction. The GTF is a young fleet with a long runway of growth ahead of it. To have an active shop in China brings immediate benefit to our customers in region. We are eager for the induction pace to build and for our other GTF MRO network members in China to begin maintenance operations as well. All of this helps to enhance our customers’ operations.”
MTU Maintenance Zhuhai’s President and CEO, Jaap Beijer, added,
“We are incredibly excited to have inducted the first GTF engine in our Zhuhai facility, MTU’s third facility with full disassembly, assembly and test capability in the GTF MRO network. The GTF is a game-changing engine, and MTU has been playing key roles in its design, manufacture and maintenance. It’s rewarding to service this state-of-the-art geared fan architecture and provide reliable maintenance to maximize our customers’ time in the air.”
MTU Maintenance Zhuhai is one of several Asian facilities supporting GTF MRO work, along with Pratt &Whitney’s Eagle Services Asia (ESA) in Singapore and IHI in Japan.
Pratt & Whitney a long history of powering aviation in China, with a relationship dating back over 90 years. Over the last five years that Pratt & Whitney GTF Engines have been operating in China, they have saved over 95 million gallons (nearly 360 million liters) of fuel, compared to less efficient models.
Currently, there are 10 active GTF MRO engine centers located across three continents, including Pratt & Whitney, MTU Aero Engines, Japanese Aero Engines Corporation (JAEC), Lufthansa Technik (LFT) and Delta TechOps.
A division of Raytheon Technologies Corporation (NYSE: RTX), Pratt & Whitney is a global leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft and helicopter engines and auxiliary power units (APUs) for commercial, military, regional, business and general aviation aircraft. Pratt & Whitney is known for their innovative technologies such as the Geared Turbofan (GTF) commercial aircraft engine and the PW800 business jet engine. In 2020, the company celebrated their 95th year in business.
Source: Pratt & Whitney