- Investment will support customers’ fleets by increasing capacity and improving turnaround times
Barcelona, Spain – October 23, 2024 – GE Aerospace (NYSE:GE) announced plans to invest more than $130 million across its Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) and component repair facilities in Europe by the end of 2026.
This investment is part of GE Aerospace’s global, multiyear $1 billion MRO spending surge that was announced earlier this year. The goal is to ensure MRO facilities in the region have the capacity to meet growing demand for services across the GE Aerospace and CFM1 installed base. The investment will fund additional engine test cells, new equipment, and cutting-edge technology, including AI-enabled enhanced inspection techniques. These enhancements are intended to reduce turnaround times for customers and expand component repair capability within GE Aerospace’s MRO facilities.
GE Aerospace President and CEO, Commercial Engines and Services, Russell Stokes said, “Our MRO facilities in Europe play a key role in our global services network and this investment will help us meet demand and keep customers’ fleets flying safely. Our focus on creating capacity and new capabilities underscores our commitment to safety, quality, and delivery, not only for our customers, but for the millions of people who fly with our products underwing.”
The largest portion of the investment will support growing demand for CFM LEAP* engines as the fleet continues to mature and expand with more than 3,300 LEAP-powered aircraft in service and more than 10,000 additional engines currently in backlog, increasing the global commercial airline fleet by thousands of planes in the coming years.
Many of these investments are being made as the result of employees working to improve safety, quality, delivery, and cost, through FLIGHT DECK, GE Aerospace’s proprietary lean operating model – a systematic, customer-driven approach to running the business to deliver exceptional value.
MRO Investments in Europe to Support Customers Across Engine Portfolio
A portion of the planned MRO funding in Europe is to increase the capability at XEOS, a joint venture between GE Aerospace and Lufthansa Technik located in Środa Śląska near Wroclaw, Poland. The site is undergoing a shift to focus exclusively on servicing LEAP engines as overhaul and repair demand for the maturing fleet continues to grow.
Investment totals in Europe through 2026 include:
- United Kingdom: ~ $75M
- Nantgarw, Wales (Overhaul facility)
- Prestwick, Scotland (Overhaul facility)
- London, England (On-Wing-Support facility)
- Wroclaw, Poland: ~$30M
- XEOS Overhaul facility2
- Budapest, Hungary ~$25M
- Component Repair facility
GE Aerospace’s MRO facilities help keep more than 40,000 commercial aircraft engines flying globally, including roughly 6,800 commercial engines that operate in Europe alone. GE Aerospace employs more than 12,500 people in Europe, including over 5,700 with Avio Aero. Customer services provided by GE Aerospace include engine disassembly and reassembly, maintenance, repair, and inspection, as well as testing.
1CFM International is a 50/50 joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines. LEAP is a registered trademark of CFM.
2XEOS is a 75/25 joint venture between GE Aerospace and Lufthansa Technik.