June 19 (SeeNews) - German manufacturer MTU Aero Engines has chosen the municipality of Nova Pazova, northern Serbia, as the location for its new engine repair facility, the company said on Wednesday.
The new site close to Belgrade airport will be run by MTU Maintenance Serbia d.o.o., a 100% MTU subsidiary to be founded soon, and is expected to be operational over the course of 2022, MTU said in a statement.
The company will establish a parts repair shop with a capacity of approximately 400,000 repair hours per year in Nova Pazova, in addition to the 1.9 million repair hours MTU currently performs per year at existing facilities.
Within the course of this year, the company will establish a project office in Belgrade, while a core team is already coordinating the setup of the new shop and selection of local suppliers. Ground-breaking is expected to happen in autumn 2020, MTU said.
"Operational flexibility is key to providing competitive services to the global market. Including the name Serbia in our subsidiary’s brand underlines our confidence in becoming a valuable and committed industrial player in Serbia," Chief Program Officer Michael Schreyoegg said.
In May, MTU signed a memorandum of understanding with the Serbian government, opening the way for investment in a new plant in the Belgrade region.
MTU Aero Engines produces low-pressure turbines, high-pressure compressors and turbine center frames. It says that around 30% of today’s active aircraft in service worldwide have its components on board, adding it is among the top five service providers for commercial aircraft engines and industrial gas turbines.