Rolls-Royce and Air China enter MRO joint venture

Dubbed BAESL (Beijing Aero Engine Services Company Limited), the new facility will provide MRO support on the Rolls-Royce Trent 700, Trent XWB-84 and Trent 1000 aero engines, all of which are in service with Air China.

At full capacity in the mid-2030s, BAESL will support up to 250 shop visits per year. The facility will offer MRO services to Air China plus Rolls-Royce’s airline customers based in Greater China and beyond. Rolls-Royce currently powers 60 per cent of China’s widebody fleet, including the country’s Airbus A330 fleet that flies with Trent 700 engines.

In a statement, Chris Cholerton, president – Civil Aerospace, Rolls-Royce, said: “The announcement of this JV is an important milestone for Rolls-Royce in China, where we have been powering the nation’s airlines for more than 50 years. Air China is a strategic partner for us, having successfully grown together over many years.”

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Rolls-Royce said the joint venture is an important part of its strategy for China, deepening its relationship with Air China and ‘giving customers the best level of service, improving the cost-competitiveness of our business and generating incremental MRO capacity as shop visits grow.’ BAESL also supports Rolls-Royce’s sustainability goals by reducing overseas transportation of engines for MRO activity.

Ma Chongxian, president of Air China, said: “With safe operation as top priority, Air China has long been committed to developing aircraft maintenance capabilities and ensuring the reliability of the fleet, meanwhile striving to promote the industrialisation of aircraft maintenance. In the future, Air China and Rolls-Royce will continue to deepen our profound partnership and start a new journey of cooperation in the field of high thrust engine maintenance. We look forward to building the Joint Venture into a world-class aero engine MRO company and increasing the volume of China’s civil aero engine MRO industry.”