CINCINNATI: GE Aerospace (NYSE:GE) announced plans to invest more than $1 billion over five years in its Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) and component repair facilities worldwide.

These investments will help GE Aerospace create capacity to meet growth in both the widebody and narrowbody installed base by adding additional engine test cells and equipment. The funding also will add cutting-edge technology, including enhanced inspection techniques, to reduce turnaround times for customers as well as expand component repair capability within its overhaul shops.  

GE Aerospace President and CEO, Commercial Engines and Services, Russell Stokes said, “Our customers are experiencing strong air travel demand, and we are investing to increase our capacity and efficiency so we can meet their growing needs and keep their planes flying safely and reliably. With this major investment, we are reinforcing our longstanding focus on safety, quality, and delivery for our customers and the flying public.”   
 
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 approach to running the business to deliver exceptional value as measured through the eyes of customers. 

Global MRO Investments to Support Customers Across Engine Portfolio   

  A major part of the MRO funding this year provides for construction of a new Services Technology Acceleration Center (STAC) near Cincinnati, Ohio. Opening in September 2024, STAC will help accelerate the deployment of innovative services approaches, including inspection technologies that detect emerging issues sooner and reduce airplane downtime for customers.     

In total, GE Aerospace regional repair and overhaul facilities across the globe will receive $250 million in 2024 of the $1 billion planned five-year investment to help fund facilities expansion, new machines, tooling, and safety enhancements, including:    

  • United States: ~$65M
    • Cincinnati, Ohio; McAllen, Texas; Lafayette, Indiana; Dallas, Texas; Winfield, Kansas  
  • South America: ~$55M
    • Petropolis, Brazil  
  • Europe and Middle East: ~$60M 
    • Budapest, Hungary; Prestwick, Scotland; London, England; Cardiff, Wales; Wroclaw, Poland; Doha, Qatar; Dubai, United Arab Emirates  
  • Asia Pacific: ~$45M
    • Singapore; Taipei, Taiwan; Kuala Lumpur Malaysia; Seoul, South Korea     

GE Aerospace’s MRO facilities keep more than 40,000 commercial aircraft engines flying.  Customer services include engine disassembly and reassembly, maintenance, repair, and inspection, as well as testing.