GE Aviation and Lufthansa Technik AG chose a site in southwestern Poland for their joint-venture maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) center, to service GEnx-2B and GE9X engines. The reported $267-million development, to be in operation by September 2018, will be known as XEOS, and will employ 500 at full capability.
Jet engine designer and builder GE Aviation and MRO specialist Lufthansa Technik announced their joint venture in July 2015, at the Paris Air Show. The Polish operation is slated to operate for at least 30 years, according to the joint-venture agreement.
The Legnica Special Economic Zone, at in Sroda Slaska, Poland was chosen for its development potential, economic competitiveness, and government support, GE Aviation announced. The specific terms of the Polish authorities support for the project were not revealed.
The area also has a supply of skilled workers, and XEOS is expected to establish a cooperative training program with the Wrocław Institute of Technology and local technical schools, to train current and future employees.
"The technology that will be required to maintain the (GE9X) engine is one of the reasons why we selected this site here in Poland," stated Bill Millhaem, senior executive at GE Aviation.
The GE9X is a turbofan engine now in its testing phase, with the first service targeted to begin in 2020. Its most notable installations will be in the new Boeing 777X wide-body jets, also in development.
GE Aviation noted almost 700 GE9X engines have been ordered by commercial carriers.
XEOS will mainly service GEnx-2B engines, of which nearly 500 are in service with 18 carriers, mainly for the 747-8 passenger and cargo jets.
