Korean Air has broken ground on what is anticipated to be Asia’s most extensive aircraft engine maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) facility, located in Unbuk, near Incheon International Airport.
By 2027, this mega facility is expected not only to be the largest on the continent, but also to increase the airline’s aircraft engine MRO capacity from 100 to 360 units annually.
Korean Air’s Aircraft Engine MRO Operations
Currently, Korean Air’s engine MRO operations take place at Bucheon, supplemented by a test cell at Unbuk. The new infrastructure, which covers more than 140,000 m² on seven floors and represents an investment of approximately $439 million, will centralize operations at a single site, thus optimizing the process.
The airline currently maintains a variety of engines, including the Pratt & Whitney PW4000 and PW1100, CFM56 and the General Electric GE90-115B. With the expansion, the GEnx and CFM Leap-1B models are also planned to be included in its service portfolio.
In addition, Korean Air is evaluating the possibility of extending its maintenance services to Asiana Airlines’ engines, particularly the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB that powers its Airbus A350-900s. This move comes at a time when the company is seeking to merge with Asiana, pending some regulatory approvals.
Furthermore, the expansion of Korean Air’s MRO operations is projected to not only create more than 1,000 new jobs, but also strengthen the competitive position of the domestic aeronautical MRO sector and decrease dependence on international maintenance services.
This initiative reaffirms the airline’s commitment to operational excellence and innovation in the aeronautical sector, as well as positioning South Korea as a global benchmark in the field of aircraft engine MRO. By converging cutting-edge technology with industrial capacity, the new MRO center promises to be a catalyst for technological and economic development in the region, setting new standards for quality and efficiency in the global aerospace industry.
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Source: aviationweek.com
Photo: shutterstock
