Arnstadt, 8 April 2022. N3 Engine Overhaul Services (N3), the joint venture between Lufthansa Technik AG and Rolls-Royce plc. for the maintenance and repair of aircraft engines, is celebrating its 15th anniversary. The company, which started in 2006 with the construction of its workshops on a green field in the Erfurter Kreuz industrial area and went into operation in 2007, quickly established itself as a permanent fixture in the overhaul network for Rolls-Royce Trent engines. More than 700 people are part of the workforce, and the company has trained and employed 124 trainees to date. Since 2007, N3 Engine Overhaul Services has overhauled 1,360 engines from over 50 international airlines.
Stefan Landes, Commercial Director N3: “We proudly look back on 15 years of company history at Erfurter Kreuz and especially on the performance of N3’s employees. Their commitment ensured that N3 was able to grow into an indispensable partner within the Rolls-Royce network. As one of the largest employers at Erfurter Kreuz, we also have a significant impact in the area and have created many opportunities for Thuringia.”
Looking ahead, the need for maintenance services for Rolls-Royce Trent engines will increase sharply in the coming years. In particular, technical support for the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 TEN engines is in high demand. Therefore, the Trent 1000 TEN (used on the Boeing 787) will be added to the N3 portfolio. Preparations for obtaining the operating license are already under way. With a portfolio that will then cover a total of five engine types, capacity utilisation will double over the next five years from the current 120 engines per year in 2022 up to 250.
“We have come through the ‘Corona Valley’ with an enormous dip in growth,” says N3 boss Stefan Landes. The Arnstadt-based company’s growth curve came to an abrupt stop due to the corona pandemic of 2020. The company recorded a drop in orders of around one third in 2020 and 2021, due to the dramatic drop in international air traffic during the corona pandemic. The company is now looking positively towards the future while considering the expansion of its site in Arnstadt.
New recruitment campaigns have started: Opportunities for entry-level jobs and those with experience
The demand for skilled workers increases significantly in tandem with rising workloads. For this reason, this year will see N3 relaunch its tried-and-tested aeronautical qualification programme for specialists from outside the industry. Since the start of operations in 2007, more than 350 participants have successfully completed this program, which was specifically designed for the company. Extensive personnel recruitment measures are already under way for engineering positions and specialists in logistics, IT, human resources and purchasing. Also in the area of supply chain management (SCM), new positions have to be filled due to the increasing workload. In engine overhaul, SCM assumes responsibility for managing the entire value chain of N3 and all external interfaces.
A burgeoning engineering field with development opportunities for both experienced and young engineers in an international environment
Since the start of N3's operations, an in-house engineering department has overseen the ongoing optimisation and sustainability management of our processes, as well as the introduction of new, innovative repair technologies. N3 also develops its own solutions for tool development and has already established some as best practice within the Rolls-Royce network. More than 80 engineers now work at N3, and the trend is rising rapidly, because the need for engineering professionals goes hand-in-hand with portfolio expansion and extensive digitisation projects.
Specialists who passed our company training program are among the best in their field
N3 not only trains aircraft mechanics specialising in engine technology, it also trains specialists in warehouse logistics. Skilled machinists also receive up-to-date training in Arnstadt. This allows the company to secure its increasing need for skilled workers in its operational activities through in-house training, while offering young people excellent development opportunities in a modern international, industrial company in Thuringia. The workshop’s training island, as well as a separate training workshop located in the Erfurt training centre, ensure individual support from several trainers and rapid integration into our specialist departments. The high quality of our training programmes has already been singled out four times with an award for best aircraft mechanic training in the country.
Link to N3 Careers page: https://karriere.n3eos.com
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