GKN Aerospace has secured a new five-year agreement with Rolls-Royce to provide fan blade repair services across the RB211-535, Trent 700 and Trent 800 engine programmes, reinforcing a long-standing partnership between the two companies.
The contract builds on more than two decades of GKN Aerospace’s established expertise in repairing fan blades, fan discs and annulus fillers for the Trent 800 and RB211-535 engines. Under the new terms, the company will extend its capabilities to include Trent 700 fan blade repairs, introducing an additional independent repair source to the market for these components.
These engine platforms, while mature, remain widely deployed and are expected to stay in service for the foreseeable future. Expanding repair capacity is therefore critical to maintaining fleet reliability and supporting operators as demand across the global MRO aftermarket continues to rise.
All repair work will be undertaken at GKN Aerospace’s newly expanded, purpose-built facility in San Diego, spanning 150,000 ft². The site incorporates advanced automation systems and cutting-edge robotics, enabling efficient, consistent and high-quality repair processes while reducing turnaround times.
Drawing on extensive experience with the Trent 800 and RB211-535 platforms, GKN Aerospace will now apply its technical expertise to the Trent 700 engine family. This expansion is intended to enhance service continuity, improve availability of key components, and provide operators with greater flexibility in maintaining their fleets.
