MTU Maintenance Zhuhai has opened its second test cell, located in Jinwan, at a ceremony with CAAC representatives, local government and representatives from China Southern and MTU Maintenance today. Having received CAAC, EASA and FAA approval for PW1100G-JM engines at the beginning of June, the 60,000 lb thrust test cell is now up and running and will ramp up toan annual capacity of260 tests. The PW1100G-JM engine is the Pratt & Whitney GTF™ engine for Airbus A320neo family aircraft.

Chairman of the Board of MTU Maintenance Zhuhai Wu Rongxin stated: “We are delighted to be opening the test cell inJinwan today, it is a great milestone in this project and will not only support both facilities in their operations but also the growth of the aviation sector in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.” The test cell is part of the new facility, MTU Maintenance Zhuhai Co., Ltd. Jinwan Branch, to be built in Jinwan District, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China, in a 20-minute-drive distance to MTU’s existing facility, MTU Maintenance Zhuhai. Building of the test cell commenced prior to the rest of the site, due to the continued strong demand at MTU Maintenance Zhuhai, following on from the introduction of LEAP engines in 2019 and PW1100G-JM engines in 2020 and in addition to the CFM56 and V2500 engines already being served. It takes MTU Maintenance Zhuhai’s total technical test capability to 710 engines a year and supports both sites’ ramp-up. The Jinwansite will primarily focus on PW1100G-JM and V2500 engines, is expected to start operations in 2025 and ramp up to a capacity of 260 shop visits.

“The new test cell will both increase our MRO capacity, in particular for the PW1100G-JM engine, as well as improve our throughput and speed of execution,” adds Michael Schreyögg, Chief Program Officer, MTU Aero Engines. “We are excited to support the growing GTF fleet and in particular, cater to and exceed our customers’ requirements in the Asian region. Further, a training center is currently being built at MTU Maintenance Zhuhai that will train up to 100 engine mechanics each year for both facilities and ensure the availability of highly qualified personnel to support the ramp-up.

The MTU Maintenance Zhuhai and Jinwan facilities will benefit from their proximity to Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Macao. Service teams can be dispatched to the customers in the region in no time. The current MTU Maintenance Zhuhai shop has an advanced machinery and performs 80 percent of parts repairs in-house.In addition to China Southern, MTU Maintenance Zhuhai serves over 90 customers from China, Asia and around the world, including International Aero Engines, Saudia Airlines and All Nippon Airways, as well as Chinese Shenzhen Airlines, Xiamen Airlines and Hainan Airlines. The new shop will also provide MRO to third party customers.