Wave of early LEAP-1A/1B shop visits frustrating operators

Gain access to all market insights like this for as little as $60.

Why it Matters:

While much of the public attention has been on Pratt & Whitney and its GTF challenges, frustration with LEAP-1A and -1B engines has been very forthcoming from CFM operators. Absent the hard limits for inspections grounding much of the competing GTF fleet, the LEAP is still struggling to achieve expected time on wing levels.

The LEAP’s architecture includes hotter temperatures and higher pressures in the hot section of the engine, much more so than the GTF. Likewise, this hotter hot section is experiencing greater wear, manifesting through rapidly eroding EGT margins. The result is an increased shop visit schedule between 2,000 and 6,000 cycles, with operator feedback suggesting a planning base of 4,000.

Changes to the thermal barrier coatings will help improve the longevity of EGT margin, as will changes expected to the high-pressure turbine over the next several years.

The Edge:

The LEAP engine has a long road ahead of it to reach the time-on-wing expectations set by the CFM-56. Even as incremental changes improve the time to shop visits, further reports of findings as a result of boroscopes are driving increased shop visit costs and longer downtime. Even as complaints resulting from the higher EGT margin erosion are plentiful, they are eclipsed by further frustration that findings and “hospital visits” are adding a level of uncertainty to maintenance planning not anticipated by the airlines and lessors.

Still, the challenges CFM has with the LEAP engine can be considered in the context that at least they aren’t GTF engines – a refrain commonly heard from operators. However, aside from the hard limits on the GTF engines, the pathway for the GTF appears more defined than with the LEAP engine.

While this may or may not be fair to CFM, it reflects the thoughts of the operators frustrated with the challenges specific to the new architecture, higher temperatures, and higher pressures directly associated. Updated life-limits are expected from LEAP in the 2025-2027 timeframe however, the current problems of EGT margin erosion have
yet to put operators at ease.

Gain access to all market insights like this for as little as $60.