MTU Maintenance has officially signed the company’s first LEAP-1A maintenance contracts in North Africa with several regional airlines.

One contract with AIRCAIRO designates MTU Maintenance to provide maintenance for 42 LEAP-1A engines used on the airline’s 19 Airbus A320neo aircraft.

This is especially significant as many operators in North Africa use the A320neo family, and the region is seeing strong growth in modernized aircraft fleets and tourism.

With the new contracts, MTU Maintenance aims to meet the increasing demand for long-term LEAP engine maintenance and overhaul, as the company performs MRO for 30+ engine models.

MTU Maintenance’s new agreements in North Africa are based on an existing joint-support solution between MTU Maintenance Hannover in Germany and MTU Maintenance Zhuhai in China.

As MTU Maintenance’s narrowbody aircraft engine specialist, the Zuhai location has extensive experience maintaining LEAP engines.

MTU Aero Engines Senior VP of MRO Programs Martin Friis-Petersen said, “Establishing an early presence in the market, building strong customer relationships and developing a deep understanding of operators’ requirements have been central to our strategy in North Africa.”

Friis-Petersen added, “The agreements are the result of many customer visits and workshops. Trust is not only built when a contract is signed.”

AIRCAIRO CEO and Chairman Hussein Sherif commented, “Our partnership with MTU Maintenance is an important step in supporting the continued growth and modernization of AIRCAIRO’s fleet.”

Sherif continued, “The LEAP-1A engine is an integral part of our A320neo operation, and ensuring access to world-class maintenance capabilities is essential to maintaining the reliability and operational performance of our aircraft.”

“We are pleased to work with MTU Maintenance and look forward to developing a strong and long-term relationship that supports AIRCAIRO’s expansion and our commitment to our passengers,” said Sherif.