WROCLAW—XEOS, a joint venture (JV) between GE Aerospace and Lufthansa Technik, has inaugurated its facility in Poland for CFM International Leap engine maintenance.
The 380,000 ft.² site, located in Środa Śląska near the city of Wroclaw, will focus on the overhaul, repair and testing for Leap 1A and 1B engines variants, which power Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 Max aircraft, respectively.
XEOS is currently performing Leap 1B shop visits, with Lufthansa Technik—a 25% minority partner in the JV—inducting its first engine in January under an agreement signed with LOT Polish Airlines to supplement LHT’s existing engine shop capacity in Hamburg.
More Leap work emanating from LOT Polish Airlines is expected under the agreement. The Warsaw-based carrier operates a fleet of 18 Boeing 737-8 aircraft, with another 13 on order, for a total of 62 CFM Leap 1B engines, plus spares.
At the site, XEOS also supports Leap 1A module work and engine testing. In the coming months, XEOS says it plans to grow its overhaul capacity and repair capability while also adding test cell capability for the Leap 1B. The site has a 13-meter test cell, which was originally built for the GEnx powerplant and future GE9X engine.
The XEOS facility was first opened in 2019 and initially operated as a future shop for GE9X and GEnx engines before changing course to cater for Leap engines instead post pandemic.
Robert Burton, CEO of XEOS, says the initial outlay to establish and setup the facility cost around $250 million. He says the company plans to invest around $40 million in 2025 to help set the shop up further for the Leap engine models.
In total, Burton says it plans to induct 36 Leap engines this year, but this throughput of engines will increase substantially in future years.
The shop’s workforce currently stands at 250 people and Burton says this will increase to more than 300 people by the end of 2025. “With training engines on site, we’re able to staff, train, and build capability quickly—to develop a talented workforce here in the Wrocław region,” Burton adds.
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