MRO News in Brief 24 May 2026

MTU redelivers first repaired PW800 engine: MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg has completed its first Pratt & Whitney Canada PW800 engine shop visit, following a significant expansion to the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities at its Ludwigsfelde facility. As part of planned maintenance activities, select PW800 engines are receiving an extended multimodule work scope, which MTU supports as an approved OEMRO partner. Pratt & Whitney is an RTX business. Initially, the location south of the German capital focused on the MRO of the engine model’s low-pressure turbine. Following EASA certification in 2025, MTU industrialized comprehensive maintenance and testing processes and is now one of only two facilities worldwide authorized to perform full PW800 MRO services. This has further strengthened its MTU’s business jet portfolio as well as its long‑standing partnership with the engine OEM Pratt & Whitney Canada. The latter fully owns and operates the other MRO facility in Bridgeport, West Virginia. Three of the most advanced business jet models – the Gulfstream G500 and G600 as well as the Dassault Falcon 6X – are already powered by PW800 engines. The Gulfstream G400 completed its first test flight in August 2024 and is set to follow suit. As of May 2026, Pratt & Whitney Canada has produced more than 1,000 PW800 engines, which currently power over 415 business jets operated by customers in 30 countries. Liebherr and Finnair sign A350 nose landing gear deal: Liebherr-Aerospace has been selected by Finland’s flag carrier Finnair to perform the overhaul of the nose landing gear systems for Airbus A350 aircraft. Leveraging on its extensive experience as both the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and a specialised centre for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of landing gear systems, Liebherr-Aerospace’s facility in Lindenberg (Germany) will perform all overhaul activities inhouse.  “The industry is moving now into the next global landing gear overhaul wave, entering a decisive planning phase for anticipating and securing future slots,” said Alex Vlielander, Chief Customer Officer at Liebherr-Aerospace & Transportation SAS. “We are delighted and grateful to Finnair for this agreement, which marks a significant step forward in our partnership and highlights the strong mutual trust between our companies. It further strengthens our role as a key support partner for Finnair’s A350 fleet.” The nose landing gear system for the Airbus A350 has been developed, manufactured and certified by OEM Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH, Liebherr’s centre of competence for flight controls, landing gear systems, gears, gearboxes as well as electronics. New exchange offering from APOC Aviation: APOC Aviation has introduced a new focus on exchanges to support demand from airline customers and maximise the organisation’s focused investment on high-quality stock for in-demand components.  A vast majority of used serviceable material from recent A320 Family teardowns will be added to the comprehensive inventory held at its modern facility close to Schiphol airport. “Building an exchange pool of narrowbody assets is a cornerstone of APOC’s strategy,” says Craig Skilton, VP Components at APOC Aviation.  “We now have the stock, we have the aligning MRO capability, the logistical expertise and a strong, experienced team.  All of which are ready to assist our growing customer base of airlines, who are depending on us for support. It is a transformational step for the business to be able to deliver this operational reassurance to airlines, and we have invested heavily in our processes and predictive capabilities to secure the right stock on the shelf.” APOC has a broad pool of mature and newer assets designed to service a breadth of carriers from its top tier customers to those seeking parts for legacy equipment. “We also offer more specialist stock in our exchange pool,” adds Skilton. “For example, we maintain a pool thrust reversers and inlet cowls for the V2500 & CFM56-5B both available out of Europe and our US stocking facility.” APOC also offers dedicated specialist exchange, lease and parts services for LDGs and CFM56-3/5A/5B/7B and V2500-A5 engines. Emirates completes first-ever retrofit of two-class A380 aircraft: Emirates has successfully reconfigured its first two-class A380 aircraft. The newly refurbished aircraft (A6-EUX) has taken to the skies operating as EK 39/40 between Dubai and Birmingham, featuring sparkling new interiors with Emirates’ latest products in three cabin classes: 76 Business Class seats, 56 Premium Economy Seats, and 437 Economy Class seats. This is the first of 15 two-class A380 aircraft in its fleet that Emirates will renovate as part of its commitment to offer customers a consistently superior experience in the sky. Managed entirely in-house by Emirates Engineering in Dubai, the retrofit programme has so far completed work on 95 Emirates aircraft including 42 Airbus A380s and 53 Boeing 777s, representing more than one third of Emirates’ current fleet of aircraft. As part of the retrofit, Emirates’ award-winning Premium Economy cabin will be featured, for the first time, in the upper deck of the A380. Featuring spacious leather seats with generous recline in a 2-3-2 configuration, customers can enjoy features including full leg and footrests, 6-way adjustable headrests, built-in charging ports, side cocktail tables as well as elevated dining experiences and an unmatched entertainment system via a 13.3 inch personal screen. The retrofitted three class A380 features upgraded interiors across all cabins including the latest generation seats and updated cabin finishings. From nose to tail, from fresh carpets to ceiling panels, Emirates’ new signature elements are evident throughout the cabin including modern colour palettes, specially designed Ghaf tree motifs as well as premium wood finishes. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Sally Passey at [email protected]