Liebherr Expands U.S. Component MRO Again

Toulouse-based supplier Liebherr-Aerospace has boosted its component maintenance capacity in the U.S. with the opening of a new 33,000 m2 (355,000 ft.2) building at its industrial campus in Michigan.

It is the fifth expansion of Liebherr-Aerospace Saline since 1993 and will help cater to growing demand for testing and MRO services for heat transfer equipment on most major commercial aircraft.

Liebherr’s aerospace product portfolio also includes environmental control and thermal management systems, flight control and actuation systems, landing gears and on-board electronics, many of which will also benefit from the new facility.

Of these, the OEM highlighted “urgently needed” landing gear processing capacity at the main facility and more capacity to service pneumatic components.

“Furthermore, by expanding the network, we are shortening the overall turnaround time by eliminating transportation time, cutting down on cost and lowering our carbon footprint,” Liebherr-Aerospace chief customer officer Alex Vlielander said.

Component maintenance in North American is set to be worth about $6.5 billion this year—22% of total maintenance demand in the region—according to Aviation Week Network’s Commercial Fleet & MRO Forecast 2025.

Demand for component services has surged in line with the rest of the maintenance market since the end of the pandemic, with MRO providers consistently highlighting the segment as a strong driver of revenue growth.

“Delayed aircraft deliveries, supply chain shortages, and extended use of older fleets have all fueled a greater reliance on component maintenance,” parts specialist AJW Group Chief Commercial Officer Scott Symington said in a recent interview with Inside MRO.

For a full analysis of the component maintenance market, see the latest issue of Inside MRO.