Providing power in a pandemic

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Providing power in a pandemic

We’re working hard to provide vital power to those who need it during the COVID-19 outbreak.

We’re supporting our people, customers, suppliers and governments through the outbreak of COVID-19. From providing engineering expertise and technology to aid, here are some of the ways we’re continuing to work with the people who need us around the world.

An Airbus A350-1000 is loaded with vital supplies. Photo credit: Airbus

Ensuring cargo aircraft are ready to deliver

Our industry is facing one of the greatest challenges of its 100-year history. Airlines, airports, our armed forces customers and manufacturers are doing everything they can to cope with the impact of COVID-19. Even in the most difficult circumstances, our customers and partners are doing everything to repatriate passengers and keep goods and aid moving.

While many passenger flights have been cancelled, aviation rem ains crucial to keeping trade flowing and delivering vital medical and aid supplies. Airlines around the world are increasing their cargo services to transport goods and keep vital supply chains in place.

We’re playing our part to ensure they can keep aircraft flying. This means ensuring engines are ready to take off on time, every time by arranging spare engines or prioritising repair work.

Our customer care teams are supporting Power Systems customers around the world

24/7 support, wherever we are

Our Aircraft Control Centre operates 24/7 to monitor our engines, giving support to airlines when repairs or inspections are necessary. Although fewer passenger flights are operating, many of the world’s cargo and military aircraft are powered by our engines, so providing continuous support is as important as ever. The control centre can operate remotely, with teams split into groups to ensure adherence with social distancing requirements, back-up sites and staff working from home.

In our Power Systems unit, our customer care centres in China, Germany, Singapore and the US continue to work around the clock to support customers and their MTU systems.

And in our Defence business, our key priority is to continue to provide armed forces worldwide with the in-service support that enables them to fulfil vital missions such as delivering aid and repatriating citizens. We are world leaders in military transport and patrol and our products continue to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The global C-130J fleet powered by our AE 2100 engine maintains its reputation as a 'workhorse' of the military aviation world and has helped armed forces worldwide deliver medical supplies during the pandemic.

An AE 2100-powered C-130J

Across Europe, the A400M, offers great capacity and capability to move vital resources to the places they are needed most. In critical demand are face masks and the A400M has been instrumental in delivering thousands of face masks to public service bodies. We have also seen MRTT fleets, powered by our Trent 700 engine, across Europe carry out vital medical evacuations.

Remote repair

Our on-wing services teams repair engines quickly without removing them from the aircraft, minimising delays for airlines and cargo services. But with restrictions on travel around the world, we’re having to be creative about how we support customers. Wherever we’ve been able to and providing it is safe to do so, teams have continued to travel to support customers.

Additionally, new technology allows airline engineers to inspect engines, while sending images in real-time to our experts in the UK (a bit like using video calling but more complex). Our engineers can instruct and advise them remotely, allowing them to make necessary repairs and get moving quickly.

A team member remotely inspects an engine component

Global outlook, local teams

Our Airline Support Teams operate around the world, sometimes working at an airline’s home base. This means they are close to our customers whenever they’re needed. Our teams are still operating, some remotely, and others by splitting into groups and maintaining social distancing measures while continuing to work with customers.

Supporting communities through our aviation non-profit partner

We continue to support Airlink, a non-profit organisation working with aviation and logistics partners to transport relief workers and emergency supplies for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) responding to rapid-onset disasters and other humanitarian crises around the globe.

Airlink is working with non-profit partners and airlines to support response efforts by arranging transport of supplies, facilitating collaboration between partners, and fostering information sharing. Read this Q&A to find out more.

Adapting to the challenges we face

Finally, we’re doing everything we can to keep parts moving around the world, looking at alternative shipping routes and making use of our inventory and buffer stocks, so that when engines need parts quickly, we’re able to deliver.

The situation changes every day, and our people are working round the clock, finding new ways of working and being agile. We’re working together with our colleagues, partners and friends in the industry so that even in the most challenging of times, our industry will continue to keep aid, supplies and goods moving.