MTU Aero Engines and General Electric sign agreement covering GEnx maintenance

MTU Aero Engines has concluded a strategic agreement with U.S. engine manufacturer GE Aviation on the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of the GEnx turbine center frame (TCF). The contract makes MTU the provider of MRO services for GEnx TCFs within the GE Aviation network. The GEnx powers the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and is the sole engine for the Boeing 747-8. The agreement covers the engine’s entire life cycle and is expected to be worth more than 3 billion euros in sales for Germany’s leading engine manufacturer.

MTU Aero Engines is thus adding yet another chapter to the success story of the turbine center frame for the GEnx. “For about five years now, we have been responsible for the development and production of this TCF, MTU being the only company in the world to build it for the GEnx,” says Michael Schreyögg, MTU Chief Program Officer, pointing to the importance this component has for MTU. “The GEnx is an extremely popular engine for Boeing’s twin aisle aircraft; for a long time to come, MTU will greatly benefit from its stakes in both the production of this engine and aftermarket services.”

The order book, too, shows the significance of the project: So far, around 1,600 orders have been received for GEnx engines. “Our company has all the experience and expertise it takes to maintain this high-tech product,“ explains Stefan Weingartner, member of the executive board and president of MTU Maintenance. “From the second half of 2014 our maintenance shop in Hanover will be ready to accomplish first MRO missions for the GEnx engine turbine center frame. On this occasion, we profit from the long-standing experience of our site in Munich.

The GEnx turbine center frame – the transition duct between the high-pressure turbine and the low-pressure turbine – has been playing an important role for MTU since 2009. The company holds a stake as a risk- and revenue-sharing partner in the program. In late August 2011, the first production module was handed over to GE Aviation. To date, MTU has shipped more than 500 TCFs to GE Aviation.