Rolls-Royce has broken ground on Beijing Aero Engine Services Company (BAESL), its 50/50 joint venture (JV) maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility established with Air China, in Beijing, China. The ground-breaking ceremony marks a significant milestone for the MRO facility, which is expected to enter into operation in 2026.
Representatives from Rolls-Royce, Air China, British Embassy Beijing, Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and other stakeholders attended the ceremony.
The facility is being built on a greenfield site in Shunyi District, Beijing Capital International Airport Economic Zone (Tianzhu Free Trade Zone), Shunyi District, Beijing, adjacent to Beijing International Airport. Covering an area of more than 80,000 square metres, BAESL will be able to support up to 250 shop visits per year at full capacity, which it is expected to reach in the mid-2030s. This activity will be supported by up to 800 employees who will deliver MRO services on Rolls-Royce Trent 700, Trent XWB-84 and Trent 1000 aero engines.
BAESL is the first Rolls-Royce MRO joint venture in Mainland China, and the fourth in its global MRO network, which includes HAESL, SAESL and N3. This facility will complement Rolls-Royce’s existing MRO footprint, satisfying the capacity increase that will be required based on future shop visit load forecasts.
“Breaking ground on BAESL is a significant milestone for this strategically important joint venture in mainland China,” said Rob Watson, President – Civil Aerospace, Rolls-Royce. “When it enters into operation in 2026, BAESL will support the growing MRO capacity requirements of our global customers, and in particular those in the region where we have had a presence since the first Dart Engine powered Vickers Viscount was delivered to China in 1963. Now our third largest single-country market, China is also an important part of our supply chain.”
“Today’s ground-breaking ceremony is a great celebration of our 60th year anniversary in China and of the successful relationship that Rolls-Royce has had with Air China over the past decades. Together, we are committed to delivering excellence in MRO services and building BAESL into a state-of-the-art MRO company.”
Ni Jiliang, Senior Vice President of Air China Limited and Chairman of BAESL, said: “BAESL is poised to enter construction phase. Once operational, it will effectively improve Air China's high-thrust engine operation and further ensure the flight safety of our fleet. Air China has been consistently dedicated to developing aircraft maintenance capabilities, ensuring fleet reliability, and enhancing the industrialisaton of aircraft maintenance.
“BAESL will further improve Air China’s capability in high-thrust engine maintenance, enhance competitiveness of our MRO industry chain and build a comprehensive MRO platform of scale. In the future, BAESL will take advantage of the good location and investment environment, leveraging the resource strengths from shareholders, to provide better value for our global customers. BAESL is undoubtedly on track to become a world-leading aero engine MRO enterprise.