20 years of CF34 partnership - MTU Maintenance and GE Aerospace

MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg and GE Aerospace mark 20 years partnership since the first CF34 engine was redelivered after a shop visit at the Ludwigsfelde location in 2003. MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg has performed over 1,500 shop visits for work on CF34-3, -8 and -10E engines at its facility just south of Berlin. Under the GE Branded Service Agreement signed in 2002 and recently extended until 2037, MTU Maintenance, the global market leader in providing customized solutions for aero engines, has special authorization to perform MRO work on CF34 engines as an independent provider.

The OEM said the reason for such a long partnership is simple. The passion for quality, which is at the core of MTU’s philosophy, is reflected in the immaculate engines that leave the MRO shop -- and that builds trust.

Cristina Seda-Hoelle, general manager for regional and business aviation at GE Aerospace, commented: “At GE Aerospace, we know that we can rely on MTU to produce work that is up to our standards as the OEM. It is an absolute pleasure to have them as our authorized service provider.”

BA CityFlyer, a British Airways subsidiary with a fleet of 20 Embraer E190 airplanes and an exclusive MTU customer since 2010, recently received one of their CF34-10E engines from MTU -- the 1,500th CF34 shop visit performed at the Ludwigsfelde location. In early 2020, MTU and BA CityFlyer extended their exclusive CF34-8E and -10E contract to the end of this year.

Mark Leather, Head of Engineering at BA CityFlyer, says MTU was selected as the airline’s MRO service provider of choice because it delivered flexible and intelligent solutions for its fleet of engines. “We appreciate MTU’s cost-effective and customized services,” Leather says. “Whether it is a full shop visit for an overhaul or sudden on-site events, we know MTU’s people will have the expertise.”

André Sinanian, Managing Director and SVP of MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg, previously led the CF34 program and remembers well the early times. It started out small when the first CF34-3 engines came in for MRO work, but in the following years, as the success grew, so did the volume of contracts. With the introduction of the -8C/-8E and -10E variants in 2008, the CF34 program became, as Sinanian calls it, a key pillar of the MRO business in Ludwigsfelde and the entire MTU Maintenance.

“In aviation, it seems that sometimes even time flies,” says Sinanian. “I am extremely proud that we have been able to perform at the top industry level for two decades. What’s more, we continue to do so and our partnership with GE Aerospace only becomes stronger. Our people in the workshops and offices come in every day with the sole purpose to find the best customized solutions possible for our clients.”

In 2022, MTU performed 12 percent of all shop visits for CF34-8 and -10E engines industry-wide and over a quarter for the CF34-10E alone. The company’s continued success ensures its role as a key player in the CF34 arena.