MRO & Manufacturing
GKN Expands EWIS Production Network to Support Airbus A220 Growth
GKN Aerospace expands global EWIS production for Airbus A220, boosting capacity and advancing sustainable aviation technologies.
GKN Aerospace, a key supplier in the aerospace sector, is ramping up its production of Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems (EWIS) for the Airbus A220. This move is part of a broader strategy to support Airbus’s ambitious production goals while enhancing GKN’s global manufacturing footprint. The expansion involves a multi-site production network with facilities in Europe, Asia, and North America, and includes significant investments in workforce and infrastructure.
The importance of EWIS in modern aircraft cannot be overstated. These systems form the electrical backbone of an aircraft, enabling critical functions such as avionics, lighting, and propulsion. As the aviation industry shifts towards more electric and sustainable aircraft, the demand for advanced EWIS solutions is growing rapidly. GKN’s latest initiatives position it as a key player in this evolving landscape.
This article explores the strategic implications of GKN’s expansion, the technical and operational challenges involved, and how this move fits into the broader context of aviation industry trends toward sustainability and production resilience.
Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems (EWIS) are integral to the functionality of any aircraft. These systems include wires, connectors, and support equipment that distribute electrical power and signals throughout the airframe. As aircraft become more electrically powered, especially with the shift toward hybrid-electric and hydrogen propulsion, EWIS becomes even more critical.
GKN Aerospace has built a reputation for delivering lightweight, high-reliability EWIS solutions. Their systems are used in a range of Airbus aircraft, including the A220, A320, and A320neo. The company’s focus on reducing weight while maintaining performance aligns with broader industry goals to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.
With technological advancements such as high-voltage wiring and integration into sustainable propulsion platforms, GKN is not only meeting current demands but also preparing for future aerospace needs.
GKN’s EWIS production is distributed across several key facilities worldwide. The company operates manufacturing centers in the Netherlands, China, Turkey, and Mexico. This global footprint allows GKN to manage supply chain risks, optimize logistics, and support regional aerospace markets more effectively.
The center of excellence in the Netherlands plays a pivotal role in R&D and high-precision manufacturing. Meanwhile, the facility in Chihuahua, Mexico, has recently undergone a significant expansion, adding 80,000 square feet of space and creating 200 new jobs. This site now supports both EWIS and composite aerostructure production. Such diversification of production sites not only enhances resilience but also enables GKN to scale operations in line with Airbus’s production targets for the A220, which aims to reach 14 aircraft per month by 2026.
“The expansion of our Chihuahua facility is an important milestone… Lightweight structures and advanced EWIS systems are critical for enabling the future of sustainable flight.”, John Pritchard, President of Civil Airframe, GKN Aerospace
GKN recently secured a multi-year contract extension with Airbus to continue supplying EWIS for the A220 program. This agreement reinforces a longstanding partnership and ensures stability in the supply chain as Airbus seeks to ramp up production.
The A220 currently has a backlog of approximately 498 aircraft as of early 2025. With production rates at around eight aircraft per month, Airbus faces pressure to meet its target of 14 per month by 2026. GKN’s expanded capacity is a critical enabler in this effort.
The strategic alignment between Airbus and GKN reflects a broader trend in the aerospace industry: the need for vertically integrated, resilient supply chains that can adapt to shifting market demands and technological advancements.
One of the most forward-looking initiatives GKN is involved in is the SWITCH project, which focuses on hybrid-electric propulsion. GKN has delivered its first high-voltage EWIS system for this initiative, supporting megawatt-class power distribution essential for hybrid-electric aircraft.
The testing of these systems is set to take place at Collins Aerospace’s facility in Illinois, marking a key milestone in the development of cleaner aviation technologies. High-voltage EWIS is vital for managing the increased electrical loads in hybrid-electric systems.
Through SWITCH, GKN is not only advancing its technical capabilities but also contributing to industry-wide goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to more sustainable flight technologies.
In addition to hybrid-electric propulsion, GKN is participating in the ICEFlight program, which focuses on developing cryogenic cooling systems for hydrogen-powered aircraft. This program supports Airbus’s ZEROe initiative aimed at launching a zero-emission commercial aircraft by 2035. GKN’s role involves designing and manufacturing systems that can handle the extreme temperatures required for liquid hydrogen storage and distribution. These systems are essential for enabling hydrogen as a viable fuel source for aviation.
While hydrogen-powered flight remains in the early stages of development, GKN’s involvement in ICEFlight positions it at the forefront of next-generation aerospace propulsion technologies.
To ensure consistent output and mitigate risks, GKN has implemented a three-factory network model for EWIS production. Facilities in the Netherlands, China, and Turkey operate in coordination, allowing for flexible resource allocation and quicker response to disruptions.
According to Enrique Alatorre, Senior Vice President of EWIS at GKN, this model improves both productivity and supply chain resilience. It also allows the company to support multiple OEMs and adapt to regional market needs.
This approach is especially critical as the aerospace industry continues to face challenges such as labor shortages, raw material constraints, and geopolitical uncertainties.
“Our three-factory network enables us to respond quickly to customer needs and maintain high levels of operational resilience.”, Enrique Alatorre, SVP EWIS, GKN Aerospace
GKN Aerospace’s strategic expansion of its EWIS production capabilities reflects a nuanced understanding of both current industry demands and future technological shifts. By investing in global facilities, securing long-term contracts, and participating in sustainability-focused programs, GKN is positioning itself as a critical enabler of the next generation of aircraft.
As Airbus and other OEMs push toward higher production rates and greener technologies, suppliers like GKN will play a pivotal role in ensuring that these ambitions are met. With a robust global network and a clear focus on innovation, GKN is well-equipped to navigate the complexities of the modern aerospace landscape.
What is EWIS? Why is GKN expanding its EWIS production? What are the SWITCH and ICEFlight projects?
GKN Strengthens Airbus A220 Wiring Factory Network: Strategic Expansion and Industry Impact
Understanding EWIS and GKN’s Role
What is EWIS and Why It Matters
GKN’s Global Production Footprint
Contractual and Strategic Alignments
Innovation and Sustainability Initiatives
Hybrid-Electric Propulsion: The SWITCH Project
Hydrogen-Powered Flight: The ICEFlight Program
Production Resilience Through Networked Facilities
Conclusion
FAQ
EWIS stands for Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems, which include all the wiring and electrical connectors in an aircraft.
To support Airbus’s ramp-up of A220 production and to enhance supply chain resilience through a global manufacturing network.
SWITCH focuses on hybrid-electric propulsion using high-voltage EWIS, while ICEFlight develops cryogenic cooling systems for hydrogen-powered aircraft.
Sources
Photo Credit: GKN
MRO & Manufacturing
Satair and Joramco Extend 25-Year Partnership at MRO Middle East 2026
Satair and Joramco renew their 25-year supply agreement at MRO Middle East 2026, supporting Joramco’s maintenance operations and new contracts.
This article is based on an official press release from Satair and additional industry reporting regarding MRO Middle East 2026.
At the MRO Middle East 2026 exhibition in Dubai, Satair, an Airbus Services company, and Joramco (Jordan Aircraft Maintenance Limited) officially announced the renewal of their long-standing Consumables and Expendables Supply Agreement. The deal marks the continuation of a strategic partnership that has spanned more than a quarter of a century, reinforcing the critical role of integrated supply chains in the growing Middle Eastern aviation maintenance sector.
According to the announcement, the renewed agreement is designed to secure a consistent flow of essential spare parts for Joramco’s base maintenance operations in Amman, Jordan. By locking in this supply chain solution, Joramco aims to minimize “Aircraft on Ground” (AOG) risks and reduce the complexity of material management for its expanding customer base.
The partnership between Satair and Joramco is one of the most enduring in the region. For over 25 years, Satair has served as a primary provider of consumables and expendables, high-volume, low-cost parts essential for routine maintenance, to the Jordan-based MRO provider.
In the official release, the companies highlighted the operational benefits of the extension. The agreement allows Joramco to leverage Satair’s global distribution network, ensuring that parts are available precisely when needed. This “just-in-time” capability is vital for MROs (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul providers) striving to offer competitive turnaround times to airlines.
A primary focus of the renewal is the mitigation of supply chain disruptions. By outsourcing the management of consumables to Satair, Joramco can focus its internal resources on heavy maintenance and engineering tasks rather than logistics. The agreement reportedly covers a comprehensive range of Airbus and Boeing fleet requirements, aligning with Joramco’s diverse capabilities.
“This continued partnership with Satair ensures we have the right parts at the right time, allowing us to deliver superior turnaround times to our global customers.”
, Statement attributed to Joramco leadership regarding the renewal
The renewal comes amidst a flurry of activity at MRO Middle East 2026, where both companies have announced significant independent expansions. The event, held on February 4–5, 2026, has served as a platform for major industry shifts in the region. According to industry reporting from the event, Joramco has also secured a major five-year heavy maintenance agreement with the German leisure carrier Condor. This deal will see Joramco performing base maintenance on Condor’s entire Airbus fleet, including the A320ceo, A320neo, and A330neo. Additionally, Joramco celebrated the first graduates of its Structured On-the-Job Training (SOJT) program, a move aimed at addressing the global shortage of skilled aviation technicians.
Simultaneously, Satair has expanded its footprint in the sustainability sector. Reports from the event indicate Satair signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with GAMECO (Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Co.) to enter the Used Serviceable Material (USM) market, addressing the rising demand for cost-effective and sustainable parts solutions.
The renewal of the Satair-Joramco agreement highlights a critical trend in the post-2025 aviation landscape: the prioritization of supply chain resilience. In an era where global parts shortages have frequently grounded fleets, MRO providers are increasingly moving toward long-term, integrated agreements with major distributors rather than relying on spot-market purchasing.
Furthermore, the Middle East’s trajectory as a global MRO hub is evident in these announcements. Joramco’s ability to secure European contracts like the Condor deal, backed by a robust supply chain from Satair, suggests that regional players are successfully competing on a global scale by combining geographic advantages with high-grade logistical reliability.
Satair and Joramco Extend 25-Year Supply Chain Partnership at MRO Middle East 2026
Strengthening a Quarter-Century Alliance
Operational Efficiency and AOG Reduction
Broader Context: MRO Middle East 2026 Developments
AirPro News Analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
Photo Credit: Satair
MRO & Manufacturing
Joramco Renews Maintenance Agreement with mas Cargo Airline for 2026
Joramco extends its maintenance contract with Mexican cargo airline mas for heavy checks on Airbus A330 freighters throughout 2026 at its Amman facility.
This article is based on an official press release from Joramco.
Joramco, the Amman-based aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility and engineering arm of Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE), has officially announced the renewal of its maintenance agreement with mas (formerly MasAir), a prominent Mexican cargo airline. The agreement was finalized and signed during the MRO Middle East 2026 exhibition in Dubai, marking a continuation of the strategic partnership between the two entities.
Under the terms of the renewed contract, Joramco will perform heavy base maintenance checks on the mas fleet of Airbus A330 freighters. The work is scheduled to take place throughout 2026 at Joramco’s facility at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan. This announcement underscores the MRO provider’s increasing traction in the global cargo sector and its ability to secure recurring business from international carriers outside its traditional regional stronghold.
According to the company’s announcement, the new deal focuses specifically on heavy base maintenance, often referred to as C-checks, for the carrier’s Airbus A330 fleet. These checks are critical for ensuring the continued airworthiness and operational reliability of the freighter aircraft, which are essential to mas’s global logistics network.
This renewal follows a successful initial collaboration established relatively recently. Joramco and mas first formalized their partnerships in October 2025 at the MRO Europe exhibition in London. That initial agreement covered maintenance checks that began in December 2025. The rapid renewal, signed just four months later, suggests a successful execution of the initial checks and a deepening of the business relationship.
In a statement regarding the renewal, Joramco’s leadership highlighted the significance of the repeat business.
“We are pleased to welcome more aircraft from mas at Joramco. This agreement reaffirms Joramco’s position as a trusted Global MRO provider of choice.”
, Adam Voss, CEO of Joramco
The agreement with mas aligns with Joramco’s broader strategy to expand its global footprint. By securing a renewal with a Latin American carrier, the Jordan-based MRO is demonstrating its competitiveness on a global scale, attracting airframes from the Americas to the Middle-East for heavy maintenance. The timing of this renewal is notable within the wider context of the MRO industry’s capacity constraints. In late 2025, Joramco inaugurated “Hangar 7,” a significant infrastructure expansion that reportedly increased its capacity to 22 parallel maintenance lines. This expansion appears to be paying dividends, allowing the facility to accommodate the “more aircraft” referenced by CEO Adam Voss.
Furthermore, the cargo market remains a demanding sector requiring high asset utilization. For a specialized Cargo-Aircraft airline like mas, which operates a modernizing fleet of Airbus A330 Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) aircraft, securing reliable MRO slots is a strategic priority. The quick transition from an initial contract in late 2025 to a full-year renewal for 2026 indicates that Joramco has successfully met the technical and turnaround time requirements demanded by the cargo carrier.
Joramco: A subsidiary of Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE), Joramco has operated for over 60 years. Based in Amman, Jordan, it provides airframe maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for Airbus, Boeing, and Embraer aircraft.
mas: Headquartered in Mexico City, mas (formerly MasAir) is a specialized cargo airline operating scheduled and charter freight services across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The airline has been actively expanding its capacity with Airbus A330 freighters to support its international network.
Sources:
Joramco Extends Maintenance Partnership with mas Cargo Airline for 2026
Scope of the Renewed Agreement
Strategic Context and Capacity Expansion
AirPro News Analysis
About the Companies
Photo Credit: Joramco
MRO & Manufacturing
Liebherr and Röder Expand MRO for Embraer E-Jet Landing Gear
Liebherr-Aerospace and Röder Präzision deepen cooperation to overhaul main landing gear for Embraer E-Jet E1 family, enhancing capacity and reducing turnaround times.
This article is based on an official press release from Liebherr-Aerospace.
Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH and Röder Präzision GmbH have officially announced a significant expansion of their MRO cooperation. According to a joint statement released in early February 2026, the new agreement tasks Röder Präzision with the overhaul of structural components for the main landing gear of the Embraer E-Jet E1 family. This move builds upon a pre-existing partnership that was previously limited to nose landing gear components.
The deepened collaboration comes as the global aviation industry faces rising demand for maintenance capacity. By integrating Röder Präzision’s Egelsbach facility into the supply chain for main landing gear structures, Liebherr aims to increase industrial capacity and reduce turnaround times (TAT) for operators of the E170, E175, E190, and E195 aircraft. The agreement is effective immediately, with operations expected to scale up throughout 2026.
As the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for the E-Jet landing gear system, Liebherr-Aerospace retains authority over the final product, while leveraging Röder’s specialized capabilities to handle the volume of structural repairs required by the aging global fleet.
The agreement establishes a clear division of responsibilities designed to optimize the overhaul process. While Röder Präzision takes on the industrial heavy lifting for individual components, Liebherr maintains control over the critical airworthiness certification and system integration.
Liebherr’s facility in Lindenberg remains the center of competence for the program. The OEM is responsible for the “top-level” processes, which include:
Röder Präzision, an established MRO provider, will handle the detailed industrial overhaul of the structural parts. Their scope includes:
According to the announcement, Röder has invested in expanded machinery and specific employee qualification programs to meet the technical demands of the main landing gear, which involves larger and more complex components than the nose gear they previously handled.
The timing of this agreement is driven by the lifecycle of the Embraer E-Jet E1 fleet. The aircraft family, which entered service in the mid-2000s, is currently experiencing a “bow wave” of heavy maintenance requirements.
Landing gear overhaul intervals for the E-Jet are typically set at 10 years or 20,000 flight cycles for the E190/195, and 12 years or 30,000 flight cycles for the E170/175. With a significant portion of the global fleet reaching these milestones simultaneously, the demand for overhaul slots has surged. By utilizing a domestic German supply chain, Liebherr intends to minimize logistics costs and shipping times, offering a faster alternative to non-European vendors. “This cooperation is a win-win situation. We are covering global needs that are sure to arise in the near future. At the same time, we can offer our customers greater capacities and faster turnaround times thanks to short delivery routes.”
— Gerd Heinzelmann, Managing Director, Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH
Bastian Heberer, CEO of the Röder Group, emphasized that the deal is built on a foundation of trust established during their previous work on nose landing gear.
“We are very pleased to be able to deepen the long-standing, trust-based partnership with Liebherr with this agreement. With our targeted investments in machinery and the qualification of our employees, we are a reliable partner for Liebherr.”
— Bastian Heberer, CEO, Röder Group
This agreement highlights a growing trend in the MRO sector where OEMs are increasingly relying on trusted third-party providers to manage capacity constraints. While OEMs like Liebherr hold the intellectual property and certification authority, the sheer volume of mature fleets, like the E-Jet E1, requires more industrial throughput than many OEMs can manage alone without expanding their own physical footprint.
By outsourcing the component-level repair work to Röder while keeping the high-value assembly and certification in-house, Liebherr effectively creates a “hybrid” MRO model. This allows them to scale capacity rapidly in response to the current market surge without bearing the full capital expenditure of building new component repair shops. For operators, the promise of a “domestic solution” within Germany suggests a focus on supply chain resilience, reducing the risk of delays associated with cross-border logistics.
What aircraft are covered by this agreement? When does the new cooperation begin? Does Röder Präzision certify the landing gear? Sources: Liebherr-Aerospace
Liebherr-Aerospace and Röder Präzision Expand Partnership for Embraer E-Jet Landing Gear Overhaul
Operational Division of Labor
Liebherr-Aerospace (Lindenberg)
Röder Präzision (Egelsbach)
Strategic Context: The E-Jet “Overhaul Wave”
AirPro News Analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
The agreement covers the Embraer E-Jet E1 family, which includes the E170, E175, E190, and E195 models.
The cooperation is effective immediately, with the volume of overhaul work expected to scale up successively throughout 2026.
No. Röder performs the overhaul of structural components, but Liebherr-Aerospace retains responsibility for final testing and airworthiness certification.
Photo Credit: Liebherr
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