Delta has opened its new 127,000 ft², state-of-the-art engine repair shop. The new shop will enable Delta to perform maintenance on engines with the most sophisticated and advanced technologies — in particular, the next-generation powerplants featured on Delta’s Airbus A350s and forthcoming A330-900neo aircraft.
The new capability also stands to benefit the airline’s Maintenance Repair and Overhaul or MRO business as Delta will work on engines from other airlines and aircraft operators. Delta TechOps serves more than 150 aviation and airline customers from around the world through its MRO business, specializing in high-skill work such as engines, components, avionics, airframe and line maintenance.
Delta will be preparing the shop in the next few weeks, with its first engine induction set to take place in September. The airline is anticipating the first induction of the shop will be one of Virgin Atlantic’s Trent 1000 engines.
To build the brand new engine shop, Delta converted several large hangar bays at the airline’s TechOps facility in Atlanta and created a workshop consisting of an engine assembly and disassembly area, a kitting parts area, engines work-in-progress area, shop materials and supplies (Kanban) area, life limited parts center of excellence, and repair and support area. The facility stands out from the adjacent aircraft hangar bays with a wall of glass consisting of more than 2,000 pieces of glass and stands seven stories tall underneath the historic Fly Delta Jets sign.
The shop will support the airline’s partnership with Rolls-Royce.
In October 2015, Delta and Rolls-Royce signed a formal agreement for Delta TechOps to become an Authorized Maintenance Center for Rolls-Royce engines. Under the agreement, the airline will provide engine services for the latest generation Trent XWB, Trent 1000 and Trent 7000, in addition to the BR715, which had already been added to engine capabilities.
