MRO News in Brief 27 April 2026

ABL Aviation opens Manila technical hub: ABL Aviation, a global independent aircraft investment manager, has opened a new technical office in Manila, strengthening its Asia-Pacific presence as airline demand continues to recover across the region amid ongoing aircraft supply constraints. The Manila office will serve as a dedicated technical hub, supporting aircraft inspections, lease management, and technical oversight across ABL Aviation’s growing Asian portfolio.  Joining existing regional offices in Hong Kong and Tokyo, the Manila addition further strengthens ABL Aviation’s regional footprint and its wider global network of hubs in New York, Dublin, Casablanca, and Dubai. “The Manila office is a natural step in our Asian expansion,” said Ali Ben Lmadani, Founder and CEO. “A dedicated technical presence ensures the oversight and execution that our platform is known for.” The office will be led by Donal O’Shea, Chief Technical Officer, who will oversee all technical operations and alignment with global standards. “Asia-Pacific remains a key region for ABL Aviation, with strong airline growth and increasing demand for aircraft,” added Donal. “Establishing a technical team on the ground allows us to enhance our responsiveness, support our partners more effectively, and maintain the highest standards across our portfolio.” ITP Aero expands end‑to‑end Pratt & Whitney GTFTM engine support: ITP Aero has secured a long‑term agreement with Pratt & Whitney to provide complex component repair services for the Stator Assembly – Turbine Intermediate Case (TIC) Vane Pack for the PW1500G and PW1900G engines, part of the GTFTM family. Under the five‑year contract, ITP Aero will provide TIC vane pack repair services across the entire Pratt & Whitney GTF network, supporting both PW1500G and PW1900G engines. ITP Aero is one of the few companies worldwide with the capabilities required to perform these advanced repairs. The repair is expected to be fully industrialized ahead of peak demand between 2026 and 2028. ITP Aero is a Risk and Revenue Sharing Partner (RRSP) in Pratt & Whitney’s GTF programme and, since June 2025, has been part of Pratt & Whitney’s global GTF MRO Network. Its Ajalvir (Madrid) facility will provide full MRO services and test capability for the PW1500G and PW1900G engines, with first inductions planned for early 2027. In January 2026, ITP Aero also delivered its first combustor for the PW1500G and PW1900G engines, further reinforcing its contribution to the GTF programme and its expanding lifecycle support capabilities. By now adding advanced component repair, this agreement strengthens ITP Aero’s GTF aftermarket offering, building on its established manufacturing role and growing MRO footprint. Dedienne Aerospace and Collins Aerospace renew license: Dedienne Aerospace announced the renewal of its exclusive license with RTX’s Collins Aerospace covering legacy and new generation nacelle tooling, including ground support equipment (GSE) and related services. The agreement extends a decade-long relationship. It covers sales, maintenance, calibration, leasing and service, reflecting Collins Aerospace’s continued trust in Dedienne Aerospace to support airlines, OEMs and MROs worldwide. This renewal sets a clear path for the decade ahead. Operators and MROs gain a stable, single-source channel for legacy and new generation nacelle tooling and GSE, paired with in-region support. It ensures equipment availability, full-lifecycle services, turnaround times aligned with maintenance events, and responsive support to keep aircraft flying. “We’re proud to carry Collins Aerospace’s trust forward. The mission is clear: keep nacelle equipment available, serviceable and locally supported, delivering the reliability and responsiveness that drive customer satisfaction and keep aircraft flying,” said Cédric Barbe, President of Dedienne Aerospace. GKN Aerospace awarded five-year Rolls-Royce engine repair contract: GKN Aerospace has been awarded a new five-year contract with Rolls-Royce covering fan blade repairs for the RB211-535, Trent 700 and Trent 800 engine programmes. This agreement builds on more than 20 years of GKN Aerospace’s proven expertise in Trent 800 and RB211-535 fan blade, fan disk and annulus filler repairs. Under the new contract, GKN Aerospace will expand its capabilities to include Trent 700 fan blade repairs, providing the market with a new independent repair source to support these components. These mature and reliable engine platforms are expected to remain in service for many years. The expanded repair capability will help ensure continued operational excellence and fleet availability for operators worldwide, at a time of growing demand in the global MRO aftermarket. All work will be carried out at GKN Aerospace’s newly expanded, purpose-built 150,000 ft² San Diego facility. The site is equipped with state-of-the-art automation technology and advanced robotics, enabling highly efficient, consistent and high-quality repairs with reduced turnaround times. Leveraging decades of experience with Trent 800 and RB211-535 fan blades, the team will now extend this expertise to the Trent 700 engine family. Korean Air delivers 5,000th Airbus A320 sharklet: Korean Air has delivered its 5,000th Sharklet for the Airbus A320 family, marking a key milestone in its aerostructures business and reinforcing its role in the global aerospace supply chain. Korean Air marked the achievement with a ceremony on April 23 at its Busan Tech Centre. Attendees toured Korean Air’s aerostructure manufacturing and MRO facilities, and Korean Air recognized 15 partner companies for their contribution to the programme. “This milestone reflects Korean Air’s engineering excellence and long-standing partnership with Airbus,” said Jong Seok Yoo, Executive Vice President and Chief Safety and Operating Officer at Korean Air. “We will continue to advance our capabilities and uphold the highest quality standards to support the global aerospace industry.” The Sharklet is an L-shaped wingtip device installed on A320 family aircraft that reduces drag, improving fuel efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. Korean Air was selected as the sole manufacturer for the A320 Sharklet program in 2010 following a competitive bid. Since its first delivery in July 2012, Korean Air has used its Auto Moving Line system to achieve a production capacity of over 50 units per month. Liebherr and GoJet Airlines ink leak finder service agreement: Liebherr-Aerospace announces that it has inked a bleed air leak finder service agreement with GoJet Airlines, a US-based regional airline. Under the agreement, Liebherr’s leak finder will be applied to GoJet Airlines’ entire fleet comprising more than 50 Mitsubishi CRJ aircraft. It supports the embedded Bleed Air Leak Detection System (BLDS), which ensures protection of air system components and prevents bleed performance loss. The sensor network of BLDS is positioned in the bleed air system so that it can immediately detect an air leak and report it to the dedicated bleed monitoring controller. In order to support the aircraft operator to identify the bleed air leak more quickly, Liebherr has developed one of the first visualization leak finders. The user-friendly tool helps by 3D views in a two-step process to find the exact location of the leak. This will allow GoJet to optimize and systematically analyze its troubleshooting process in a more efficient manner, as the average total duration of maintenance work for leaks is reduced by 33%. Maintenance measures can thus be planned more precisely. Sven Dicke, Director Business & Services at Liebherr-Aerospace & Transportation SAS, said: “We are delighted to have signed this contract with GoJet Airlines, which marks a premiere for our leak finder. By working closely with our customers, we are constantly enhancing our health management solutions. They are tailored to the individual needs of our customers in order to optimise repair activities and minimise downtime.” Air Nostrum Engineering & Maintenance renews ATR deal: ATR and Air Nostrum Engineering & Maintenance Operations (ANEM), the maintenance arm of the Spanish regional airline Air Nostrum and Mel Air, have renewed their Global Maintenance Agreement (GMA) for a further five years. This extension marks a new milestone in one of ATR’s longest and most enduring customer relationships: ANEM has relied on ATR’s maintenance expertise since 1999, reflecting more than 25 years of sustained trust in the manufacturer’s support solutions. Air Nostrum and Mel Air currently operate 12 ATR 72‑600 aircraft, the latest‑generation turboprops renowned for their fuel efficiency and low emissions. By renewing its GMA, ANEM secures continued access to ATR’s comprehensive systems and components maintenance services, ensuring that Air Nostrum’s fleet maintains the highest levels of dispatch reliability as it supports essential connectivity across Spain and beyond. The agreement covers an extensive range of services designed to optimise aircraft availability, stabilise maintenance costs and making them easily predictable. This includes access to ATR’s global pool of Line Replaceable Units (LRUs), exchange and repair services, and specialised component support. Embraer and Jazz Aviation sign deal for inventory planning: Embraer and Jazz Aviation, the largest regional airline in Canada and the primary operator of Air Canada Express, announced a spare parts inventory support agreement for all the E-Jets in the airline’s fleet. Jazz currently operates 25 E-175 jets and will be the first customer of the Embraer Collaborative Inventory Planning (ECIP) program in Canada. ECIP is Embraer’s collaborative, data‑driven inventory planning program, in which Embraer covers most of the spare parts investment and manages materials to help reduce airline downtime. “The new contract shows the fast pace at which Embraer Services & Support is growing in North America, home of the world’s largest E‑Jets footprint. We look forward to supporting Jazz, our first customer in Canada, and helping them reduce downtime and strengthen their performance,” says Carlos Naufel, President and CEO, Embraer Services & Support. “This agreement with Embraer represents another important step in strengthening the reliability and efficiency of our E-Jets operations across North America,” said Doug Clarke, President, Jazz. “By participating in the Embraer Collaborative Inventory Planning program, we’re leveraging Embraer’s global materials expertise to reduce downtime and support consistent, high-quality service for our Air Canada Express passengers.” For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Sally Passey at [email protected]