Korean Air begins constructing MRO maintenance facilities

Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Won-tae speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony of a new aircraft engine MRO cluster in Incheon, Korea. [Photo by Yonhap]

Korean Air Lines Co. is building Asia’s largest aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facilities on Yeongjong Island, Incheon.

The airline announced on Thursday that a groundbreaking ceremony for the engine maintenance facility took place, which was attended by Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Won-tae, Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok, and Democratic Party Representative Maeng Sung-kyu, among others.

“These advanced engine maintenance capabilities means we can ensure aircraft safety that goes beyond mere technological expertise,” Cho said, expressing his aspiration for Korean Air to take the lead in the nation’s MRO industry.

The new facility, covering 142,211 square meters with two underground and five aboveground floors, will require an investment of 578 billion won and is slated for completion by 2027.

Korean Air, the sole private airline in Korea with an aircraft engine maintenance facility, began engine repair and maintenance for Boeing 707 aircraft engines in 1976. It has serviced approximately 5,000 engines since then, earning recognition as one of the world‘s top 10 maintenance technology providers. The company has provided overhauls for engines from Korean airlines including its subsidiary Jin Air Co., as well as from foreign carriers like Delta Air Lines Inc. and China Southern Airlines Co.

Once the new MRO facilities are completed, the current engine maintenance operations at Bucheon will be transferred to the new location, which is expected to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of maintenance and testing processes. Korean Air currently maintains aircraft engines in Bucheon and conducts final performance tests at the Engine Test Cell (ETC) near the new facilities in Incheon prior to delivery.

With the new facilities, the annual maintenance capacity is expected to increase from 100 to 360 engines, along with a diversification of aircraft engine types handled. The enhanced MRO capabilities are also anticipated to reduce dependence on overseas maintenance among major Korean airlines and low-cost carriers (LCCs), while also securing orders from foreign carriers, according to industry insiders.

Korean Air currently performs disassembly-and-assembly, or overhaul, for a total of six types of engines, including Pratt & Whitney’s PW4000 series and GTF engines, CFM International’s CFM56 engines, and General Electric‘s GE90-115B engines. Overhaul maintenance refers to restoring aviation products to their original performance levels by following authorized maintenance methods, techniques, and procedures. It also involves performance tests conducted according to authorized standards and procedures post-maintenance that require a high level of technical expertise. Korean Air plans to increase the number of engine models it can maintain to a total of nine, including GE’s GEnx series and CFMI‘s LEAP-1B.

Korean Air anticipates synergies in MRO following its merger with Asiana Airlines Inc. It also expects expansion of its maintenance capabilities as feasibility assessments will be conducted for aircraft engines owned by Asiana Airlines, such as Rolls-Royce Trent (Trent) XWB engines. Industry estimates project that Korean Air’s new engine maintenance facilities will create over 1,000 jobs in the aviation sector.