EVENDALE, Ohio -- With hundreds of GE and CFM International jet engines being delivered to Chinese airlines and cargo companies, GE Aviation is training a growing number of technicians from Chinese operators of these dramatically expanding fleets.
In 2008 alone, GE and CFM, GE's 50/50 joint company with Snecma (SAFRAN Group) of France, will deliver more than 200 jet engines to 13 China-based airlines and cargo operators. Also this year, more than 500 flight-line mechanics and propulsion engineers from almost 20 Chinese operators will be trained on GE's CF34, GE90, CF6, and GEnx engines, as well as CFM's highly popular CFM56 engines.
Training occurs at GE's Customer Technical Education Center (CTEC) in Cincinnati, Ohio, and at the Aero Engine Maintenance Training Center (AEMTC) in Guanghan, China, which is supported by GE and Snecma training departments. (GE, CFM, Snecma, the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and China's Civil Aviation Supply Company jointly created AEMTC.)
Chinese airline technicians are being trained in flight-line engine maintenance, engine removal and installation, and engine borescope procedures. For example, Chinese airlines routinely send a dozen or more technicians at a time to spend at least two weeks at GE's CTEC operation.
"With the GE and CFM engine fleets growing so quickly in China, training is a huge need of our customers and a huge opportunity for us," said Michael Brown, manager of training programs at GE's CTEC operation. "GE's training programs are key in establishing long-term relationships with these Chinese operators."
The CFM56 engine, which already powers more than 650 Airbus A320, Airbus A340, and Boeing 737 aircraft in China, requires the most training focus. And, over the next five years, more than 400 additional CFM-powered aircraft are also slated for delivery in China.
Two new GE engines are also gaining critical exposure in China: the CF34-10A regional jet engine and the new GEnx engine. The CF34-10A will power the ARJ21-700 regional jet, which is being developed by China's AVIC 1 Commercial Aircraft Co., Ltd. (ACAC). In 2006, four China-based airlines ordered a total of 42 Boeing 787 Dreamliners powered by the GEnx-1B engine.
GE's CTEC operation has recently added the GEnx to its training curriculum. Training groups from China Southern, China Eastern, Shanghai Airlines and Hainan Airlines are experiencing hands-on sessions for the GEnx program this year.
Air travel growth in China, where 44 new airports are scheduled for construction over the next five years, continues to outpace airplane supply. In 2007 alone, domestic airline traffic grew by 18 percent in China, while international airline traffic grew 11 percent.
GE Aviation or CFM International operate facilities in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guanghan. In addition, GE Aviation's purchase of jet engine components in China reached $284 million in 2007, a 100 percent growth in three years.
GE Aviation, an operating unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider of commercial and military jet engines and components as well as integrated digital, electric power, and mechanical systems for aircraft. GE Aviation also has a global service network to support these offerings.