Delta TechOps teams achieved a major milestone recently by completing the first engine maintenance visit of a Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engine from a Delta A330-900neo at its Technical Operations Center in Atlanta.
The repair marks the first of many Trent 7000 engine repairs to come through Delta TechOps’ maintenance facility. While this first engine came directly from Delta’s fleet, Delta TechOps says they are ready to perform maintenance on “Trent 7000 engines from airline customers around the world.”
“This successful milestone furthers the progression of Delta TechOps’ next-generation engine programs,” said Mike Moore, Delta’s senior vice president – Maintenance Operations & MRO Services. “Our teams continue to perform world-class work despite the many challenges posed by the pandemic. We look ahead to expanded volumes of these next-generation engine types in 2021 and beyond, especially the service work to be done for our MRO customers.”
Prior to the engine visits, TechOps’ Assembly Shop, Repair & Support group, engineering and many other teams spent months preparing for the build, part repairs and engine test. This included mechanics and inspectors visiting the Rolls-Royce shop in the U.K. for special Trent 7000 training, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the past few years, TechOps has made significant investments to further enhance their maintenance capabilities. These major projects include the conversion of aircraft hangar bays into a new engine shop, development of a hot section repair shop, construction of the largest MRO test cell in the world and an additive manufacturing shop.
In October 2015, Delta and Rolls-Royce signed a formal agreement for Delta TechOps to become an Authorized Maintenance Center for Rolls-Royce engines – the Trent 1000, Trent 7000, Trent XWB and BR715.