GE Aerospace plans to invest more than 64 million euros into its manufacturing facilities in Europe this year to produce more-efficient commercial engines and critical military engines. Many of the investments enable new manufacturing techniques or materials that result in stronger and lighter components, increasing the efficiency of engines and reducing emissions.
Riccardo Procacci, president and CEO of propulsion and additive technologies at GE Aerospace, said: “These investments will put more-efficient engines in airline fleets today and help us bring online the next generation of engines and technologies needed to achieve our 2050 ‘net zero’ ambition. This investment is part of the next chapter of GE Aerospace and our work to invent the future of flight, and we look forward to building a strong one in Europe.”
The 2024 investments in Europe will go to several sites, including: £1.6 million in Gloucester, UK, for new machines, additional tooling, and safety enhancements to the factory; 44 million euros across multiple locations in Italy for new and upgraded test cells, additional tooling, new equipment and upgrades to buildings for the production of narrow and widebody commercial aircraft engines, along with military engines; 6.24 million euros in Prague, Czech Republic, for new equipment and tooling, along with upgrades to the building to support production of other efficient aircraft engines; 3.39 million euros in Bucharest, Romania, to upgrade machines, purchase new equipment and tooling to support production of narrowbody aircraft engines; and 9.46 million euros at several sites in Poland for new equipment and tooling, new test cells, along with upgrades to some buildings to support the production of narrow and widebody commercial aircraft engines and military engines.
The aerospace manufacturer will also hire more than 300 people at its European sites. GE Aerospace and its partner engines power three out of every four commercial flights around the world and the company continues to see strong demand from its military and commercial customers for new engines and to maximise the availability of engines in operation.
The 2024 investment plan expands the company’s capacity to continue ramping CFM LEAP engine* production, prepare for production of the GE9X engine, and to continue supporting the US military and its allies around the world.