Queensland-based TAE Aerospace celebrated 20 years as an Australian aerospace company on April 30.
Originally an offshoot of Air New Zealand, the Australian company started its operations locally as a contracting company at RAAF Amberley where it gained one of the very first F-111 engine maintenance support contracts.
Since that time, TAE has widened its portfolio into turbine engine and component MRO in both the defence and commercial aviation markets, and has also added component manufacturing and fire suppression technology. After acquiring three US-based companies in 2019, TAE now has a global MRO and manufacturing capability across 11 sites on multiple engine types and systems.
Earlier this year TAE moved off Amberley and commenced operations from a new purpose-built 16,000sqm Turbine Engine Maintenance Facility at Ipswich west of Brisbane. The new facility now houses MRO activity for P&W F135 engines for the F-35, the GE F414 for the F/A-18 Super Hornet, GE F404 engines for the F/A-18 classic Hornet, and the AGT1500 gas turbine for the M1A1 Abrams tank.
The company has also become the largest MRO provider for the TPE331 engine – as used by the MQ-9 Predator/Reaper series of UAS – in the world, and performs a range of other activities including aircraft wheels & brakes, auxiliary power units, fire extinguishing, and avionics chassis manufacturing.
“Our ability to continually adapt to changing markets and products has been the key to our success,” TAE Aerospace CEO Andrew Sanderson said in a statement. “This diversity in product and customer base continues to keep things interesting every day for our team and helps us continue to find new opportunities for expansion and customer delivery around the world.
“The first 20 years has been an exciting journey from our Australian base and now with an expanding presence around the world we look forward to what the next 20 years may bring.”