MTU Invests $111.9M In Hannover MRO Expansion

German engine specialist MTU Maintenance is investing more than €100 million ($111.9 million) to expand its Hannover facility.

The MRO provider broke ground on the extension on Oct. 21 and aims to increase capacity by more than 20% to support additional widebody engine shop visits and module repair work.

The expanded facility is scheduled to become operational in late 2028 and create around 200 jobs at the site.

Once construction is finished, the project will add approximately 82,900 ft.² of production space and 23,700 ft.² of offices, taking the site’s total footprint to more than 1.18 million ft.².

MTU says the additional capacity will primarily support widebody engine maintenance demand, including GEnx maintenance—an option for Boeing 787 aircraft—and, in the future, GE9X turbine center frame repairs. MTU will also reconfigure freed-up space within the existing facility to support specific engine repairs.

Hannover was MTU’s first MRO location when it entered the aftermarket in 1979. In 2026, the facility can repair the CF6-80C2, GE90-110/-115B, Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-JM and International Aero Engines V2500, along with GEnx turbine center frame work. The Hannover location also serves as MTU’s center of competence for high-tech repairs and provides on-site services and engine teardowns.

In addition to repair capabilities, the operation runs two test cells with a maximum thrust of 150,000 lb.

MTU will fund most of the investment, but the company confirmed that local economic development company, Wirtschaftsförderungs-Gesellschaft Langenhagen Flughafen, will also support it.

“At MTU Aero Engines, we are prepared for growth in a strong and positive industry environment,” says Johannes Bussmann, CEO of MTU Aero Engines. “We are investing in all our facilities in Germany and around the world to ensure we meet international demand for cutting-edge aero engine technology as well as our customers’ and partners’ maintenance, repair and overhaul requirements for decades to come.”

Jaap Beijer, MTU’s executive vice president of MRO operations and managing director of the Hannover site, adds: “This new expansion is not only a building; it complements our existing expertise and ensures our key role within MTU’s maintenance network now and in the future.”

The Hannover project is the latest expansion in MTU’s broader aftermarket network. MTU Maintenance Zhuhai, the China-based joint venture with China Southern Airlines, opened a second facility in Jinwan in March 2025, focusing on PW1100G engine maintenance. With capacity for up to 260 annual shop visits once fully ramped up, it will bring total annual capacity to more than 700 visits combined with the original Zhuhai shop.

In July 2026, the company moved its Texas operation into full engine maintenance. MTU Maintenance Fort Worth—previously MTU Maintenance Dallas—moved from on-site services to a full disassembly, assembly and testing facility for GEnx and Leap engines following a $120 million investment. The site will initially focus on Leap-1B work before ramping up to other engine types.