Premiere for Liebherr and HAECO: First landing gear overhaul for “Soaring Phoenix”

Liebherr-Aerospace and HAECO Landing Gear Services have jointly completed the world’s first major overhaul of the landing gear on the COMAC-manufactured C909 regional jet (formerly ARJ21, also known as the “Soaring Phoenix”). The final quality acceptance by both partners marks a milestone for local maintenance of regional commercial aircraft in China.

Collaboration and technical excellence

The project underscores the close collaboration between Liebherr as the OEM and HAECO as the MRO service provider. Liebherr-Aerospace ensured technical supervision and process validation throughout the entire process to guarantee highest safety and quality standards.

The C909 landing gear, developed by Liebherr, is renowned for its precision and reliability. Overhauling such a safety-critical system requires not only state-of-the-art technology but also benefits from the product expertise that the close partnership with the Original Equipment Manufacturer ensures.

Growing markets and benefits for operators

With the overhaul of the C909’s landing gear operators in China and Southeast Asia will benefit in the future from efficient, high-quality maintenance and maximum fleet availability. The partnership of HAECO and Liebherr-Aerospace creates a service infrastructure close to customers and supports the continued growth of the market share of the first regional jet developed in China.

Operators in China and in rapidly growing markets, including Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, are now benefiting from efficient maintenance solutions designed to maximize fleet availability and extend operating life.

The significance of this milestone extends far beyond the workshop floor: by establishing localized maintenance capability throughout the entire lifecycle, the partnership provides a reliable foundation for the continued growth of the fleet of the first advanced regional jet manufactured in China. The aircraft manufacturer can rely on a robust, proven MRO infrastructure to ensure the operational availability of its fleet.

Eric Thévenot, General Manager Aerospace Customer Service at Liebherr (China) Co., Ltd., noted: “This cooperation is a significant step forward for the domestic civil aviation industry. The combination of our technical Liebherr OEM DNA with HAECO’s MRO excellence, we haven't just repaired hardware; we have built a sustainable and robust service ecosystem that will benefit several aircraft platforms and airline customers throughout the region”.

The project began in 2025 with capability building and process optimization. The timeline concluded in 2026, when joint final acceptance testing by Liebherr marked the official delivery of the world's first overhaul, paving the way for future overhauls and global fleet support.