China Airlines Selects Liebherr-Aerospace for A350 Nose Landing Gear Overhaul

China Airlines (CI) has selected Liebherr-Aerospace to conduct the overhaul campaign for the nose landing gear on its fleet of 18 Airbus A350 aircraft. The agreement, announced in a press release on September 22, 2026, establishes the Taiwan-based carrier as the Asian launch customer for the manufacturer’s A350 nose landing gear overhaul program.

The maintenance campaign is scheduled to run from 2026 through 2031. Under the terms of the contract, Liebherr-Aerospace will provide asset exchange services through its facility in Singapore, Liebherr-Singapore Pte Ltd, to support the airline’s maintenance scheduling and ensure continuous fleet availability.

OEM support and asset exchange strategy

The nose landing gear system for the Airbus A350 was originally developed, manufactured, and certified by Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH, acting as the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). By contracting directly with the OEM, China Airlines secures access to factory-standard overhaul processes and a dedicated pool of exchange assets.

The asset exchange model allows the airline to swap out landing gear components requiring heavy maintenance with freshly overhauled units, minimizing aircraft downtime during scheduled heavy checks.

“By providing a comprehensive landing gear exchange solution, we are helping China Airlines to maximize fleet availability while maintaining the highest standards of safety and reliability,” stated Joël Cadaux, General Manager Aerospace at Liebherr-Singapore Pte Ltd.

Cadaux also noted that the agreement reflects a shared commitment to operational excellence and establishes a long-term partnership between the two aviation entities.

Broader maintenance investments at China Airlines

The Liebherr-Aerospace contract is part of a broader strategy by China Airlines to secure long-term maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) support for its widebody fleet. Also on September 22, 2026, the carrier finalized a separate agreement with REVIMA to support the auxiliary power unit (APU) fleet on its Boeing 787 aircraft.

According to reporting by AviTrader, the REVIMA contract covers the APS5000 APU under a Power by the Hour (PBTH) arrangement. This agreement includes line-replaceable unit (LRU) repairs and predictive maintenance services, further indicating the airline’s focus on outsourced, predictable maintenance cost models for its next-generation aircraft.

AirPro News analysis

We view China Airlines’ concurrent MRO agreements as a clear indicator of the carrier’s strategy to insulate its widebody operations from supply chain bottlenecks. By locking in long-term asset exchange and PBTH contracts for critical components like landing gear and APUs, the airline is prioritizing dispatch reliability. The selection of Liebherr-Aerospace as the OEM for the A350 nose gear overhaul also highlights a growing industry preference for direct-to-manufacturer maintenance solutions, which often provide more robust guarantees on parts availability compared to third-party MRO providers.

Sources: Liebherr