GE Aerospace Invests £30 Million to Expand UK Engine Maintenance Base

en.Wedoany.com Reported - GE Aerospace has announced a £30 million investment to expand and upgrade its aircraft engine maintenance base in Prestwick, Scotland, UK. The project also receives £27 million in public funding support from the Ayrshire Growth Deal, bringing the combined planned investment to £57 million. The project mainly involves the construction of approximately 5,110 square meters of new facilities, as well as the reconfiguration of the existing site layout, logistics routes and supporting infrastructure, with full operations scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2028.

The new building will be adjacent to the existing maintenance facilities at the Shawfarm Industrial Estate within the Prestwick aerospace cluster. According to the construction plans published by South Ayrshire Council, the new facility will be built by McLaughlin & Harvey. The expansion works include new plant construction, site development, preliminary supporting works and interior fit-out, as well as adjustments to the logistics, access points and engine maintenance workflow at the existing base.

The £27 million in public funding comprises £18 million from the UK Government, £8 million from the Scottish Government and £1 million from South Ayrshire Council. In addition to the aforementioned £57 million collaborative investment, Scottish Enterprise plans to invest a further £6 million. In the construction plans published on 13 October, South Ayrshire Council lists the overall investment scale including this funding at £63 million.

The Prestwick base primarily undertakes maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of commercial aircraft engines, with its existing maintenance capabilities covering the GEnx engine family, which powers the Boeing 787 and 747-8 aircraft. The renovation and expansion will reconfigure the movement, disassembly and maintenance workflow of engines and components across the site and add supporting workspace. GE Aerospace announced in 2024 a five-year, $1 billion global maintenance network investment plan, covering engine maintenance capacity expansion, inspection equipment and maintenance technology upgrades.

The base expansion project underwent more than two years of planning and analysis before implementation, with GE Aerospace participating in project preparation alongside the Ayrshire Growth Deal and local partner organizations. The company plans to add approximately 150 jobs at the Prestwick base over the next five years and to provide £75,000 in funding to Ayrshire College for the purchase of training equipment and the launch of aviation engineering training courses, expected to benefit around 150 apprentices and full-time students.