Rolls-Royce and Turkish Technic have officially broken ground on a state-of-the-art maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) centre at Istanbul Airport. This new facility, announced as the latest member of the Rolls-Royce global MRO network in May 2025, marks a significant expansion for both companies to meet the surging long-term demand for widebody engine services.
Scheduled to become operational by the end of 2027, the centre is designed to be one of the largest of its kind in the region. It will specialize in the comprehensive maintenance of Rolls-Royce Trent engines, specifically the Trent XWB-97, Trent XWB-84, and Trent 7000 models that power the Airbus A350 and A330neo aircraft. With a targeted capacity of 200 engine shop visits annually, the facility will play a crucial role in supporting Rolls-Royce’s TotalCare service customers and the growing fleet of Turkish Airlines.
The investment is strategically aligned with Turkish Airlines’ historic late-2023 order for 220 Airbus A350s, which made the carrier the world’s largest future operator of the Trent XWB engine. This direct link between airline fleet expansion and local MRO capability underscores a deepening industrial partnership.
Rob Watson, President of Civil Aerospace at Rolls-Royce, highlighted the project’s importance: “This groundbreaking is a significant milestone for our global MRO network. It reinforces our strong partnership with Turkish Airlines and underlines Turkish Technic’s commitment to becoming a leading provider for large civil aero engines as we work to significantly increase our global MRO capacity by 2030.”
Ahmet Bolat, Chairman of Turkish Technic, emphasized the facility’s broader impact: “This investment represents a major expansion of our technical capabilities. Set to be one of Europe’s largest centres for Trent engines, it reinforces Türkiye’s growing role as a global aviation hub and aligns with our centennial 2033 objectives, allowing us to provide best-in-class service worldwide.”
The new Istanbul facility strengthens Rolls-Royce’s worldwide MRO footprint while elevating Turkish Technic’s standing as a foremost MRO provider. It exemplifies a collaborative model where infrastructure development keeps pace with airline growth, ensuring advanced technical support remains integrated with fleet operations.
