Jet engine maker CFM International has secured approval from both U.S. and European authorities for an upgrade that promises to boost the durability of engines used on Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
CFM International, the world’s largest engine maker by units sold and a joint venture between GE Aerospace and France’s Safran, announced the new ‘durability kit’ for its LEAP-1B engines. The company said the upgrade mirrors improvements that were already made available for Airbus A320neo jets, which are powered by the related LEAP-1A engine model.
According to CFM executives speaking at a briefing ahead of the Farnborough Airshow in England, the upgrade will double what the industry calls ‘time on wing’ — meaning the length of time an engine can operate between major maintenance events. That improvement is especially significant for airlines flying in hot and demanding climates, such as those in the Middle East and India.
Long repair wait times have been a persistent headache for airlines in recent years, leaving portions of their fleets out of service. The root cause traces back to the latest generation of engines, which deliver significant fuel savings but came with unexpectedly high levels of wear and tear — a trade-off that stretched repair schedules and forced some carriers to ground planes.
CFM said it has now brought the number of LEAP-powered aircraft grounded due to maintenance backlogs to a ‘near zero’ level.
Meanwhile, rival engine maker Pratt & Whitney, which also competes to power A320neo jets, has separately reported steady progress in addressing its own maintenance delays and issues related to metal contamination.
CFM noted that the new durability update can be installed during routine maintenance visits and will also be incorporated directly into the production of new engines going forward.
