Rolls-Royce has partnered with Chinese flag carrier Air China to build a new aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility in Beijing.
The Beijing Aero Engine Services Company Limited (BAESL) will be capable of providing MRO services on three Rolls-Royce-built jet turbofan engines – Trent 700, Trent XWB-84, and Trent 1000 – which power three Air China wide-body planes, the Airbus A330, the A350, and Boeing 787 Dreamliner respectively.
According to a statement, made by the British aerospace and defense manufacturer, which was released on September 1, 2022, the new MRO facility in China will support the company’s sustainability goals “by reducing overseas transportation of engines for MRO activity”.
Rolls-Royce estimates that BAESL, which will also provide MRO services for other local carriers, will be launched by mid-2030.
“Today, Rolls-Royce powers 60% of China’s widebody fleet, powering more than 550 aircraft in service or on order. Our Trent 700 engines also power 90% of the country’s Airbus A330 fleet and the Greater China fleet represents 20% of all Trent engines flying today,” Rolls-Royce said.
“It is part of our strategy to expand our MRO network cost-effectively in order to support our growing fleet,” the engine manufacturer added.
Rolls-Royce explained that BAESL will be able to support up to 250 shop visits per year.
“The announcement of this JV [Joint Venture, ed.-] is an important milestone for Rolls-Royce in China, where we have been powering the nation’s airlines for more than 50 years,” Chris Cholerton, president, Civil Aerospace, Rolls-Royce, said.
“Air China is a strategic partner for us, having successfully grown together over many years, and I am delighted to now expand our relationship with this exciting partnership in MRO and look forward to the continued growth of our collaboration,” Cholerton added.
