Engine Upgrades Set To Roll In Across Commercial Fleets

Following huge investments to overcome supply chain, production rate and durability problems, commercial engine-makers are on a roll. With around 29,000 medium and large civil engines on order and more than 56,000 delivered from active or recently concluded large-scale production programs, the sector is accelerating into its busiest period since the start of the Jet Age. Backed by Aviation Week Fleet Discovery data, we provide a snapshot of the latest program updates and developments. Older, smaller, out-of-production subfleets—such as the Engine Alliance GP7200, Pratt & Whitney PW2000, PW4000 and Rolls-Royce RB211-535, Trent 700, 800 and 900—are not included for space reasons.

CFM INTERNATIONAL

CFM56

With more than 14,000 CFM56-powered aircraft in operation, the GE Aerospace-Safran joint venture is ramping up for a wave of shop visits by investing in repair shops including in Singapore and Greenville, South Carolina. At the latter facility, half of GE’s recent $33 million injection into new production capacity is dedicated to high-pressure (HP) turbine blades for the CFM56 Performance Improvement Program configuration variants.

LEAP-1A

CFM expects to deliver more than 2,000 Leap engines of all variants in 2026 and is making parts and building inventory to get upgrade kits into original equipment production as well as the maintenance, repair and overhaul network. Around 40% of Leap-1A-powered Airbus A320neos have been upgraded with an HP turbine durability kit, while a reverse bleed system (RBS) fuel nozzle decoking upgrade has been installed on more than 70% of that fleet.

LEAP-1B

CFM achieved both FAA Part 33 engine and Part 25 aircraft-level certification for the Leap-1B HP turbine durability kit on the Boeing 737 MAX in July and is on track for a full industrial switch to that configuration in the first quarter of 2027. The RBS has achieved engine-level certification, and aircraft-level certification is set for the second half of this year.

LEAP-1C

Deliveries of the Leap-1C continue to China-based manufacturer Comac for the C919, some 41 of which are now in service. Although tests of the competing Aero Engine Corp. of China CJ-1000 turbofan continue for use on the C919, the engine’s protracted development means Leap deliveries are expected to continue for the foreseeable future. Comac recently conducted the first flight of the short C919-600, representing development of the first family derivative.

GE AEROSPACE

CF6

GE Aerospace is expected to deliver the final CF6-80C2 engines for the last Boeing 767-300F freighters, production of which is due to end in 2027. Part of the longest-running jet engine program in commercial aviation, more than 5,600 CF6-80C2s have been produced since they first entered service in 1985. Derived from the TF39 military engine, the CF6-6 first entered service on the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 in 1971.

GE90-115B

Almost 31 years after the original GE90 version entered service, GE Aerospace is close to winding down production of the more powerful GE90-115B version for the final batch of “metal-wing” Boeing 777 freighters. As the focus shifts increasingly to sustainment, GE signed an agreement with Emirates Airline in May to develop piece-parts repair capability for the GE90 and Engine Alliance GP7200 engines.

GEnx-1B

Continuing to dominate the Boeing 787 market, the GEnx-1B passed 50 million flight hours in July after just a little more than 14 years, the fastest rate ever achieved by a GE Aerospace civil widebody engine. HP turbine blade and combustor coating upgrades are expected to increase time on wing in harsh environments to 4,000 cycles—or average GE90 and CF6-80C2 levels—by 2028.

GE9X

Ten years after starting ground tests of the GE9X, GE is ramping up engine production for the long-delayed Boeing 777-9, deliveries of which are due to begin in 2027. The engine-maker is developing a fix for a mid-seal crack issue uncovered during tests and continues to evaluate long-term durability through a series of dust ingestion runs.

PRATT & WHITNEY

V2500

Pratt & Whitney, a partner with MTU Aero Engines and Japanese Aero Engines Corp. in the International Aero Engines venture that developed and supports the V2500, expects about 800 shop visits for the engine this year. As of February, about 15% of the more than 5,000 V2500s in the operational commercial fleet had yet to have their first maintenance visit.

PW1100G

Following delivery of the first PW1100G Advantage versions to Airbus in May, the improved geared turbofan (GTF) version is expected to make its service debut on the A320neo soon. Pratt & Whitney plans a full cutover to the upgraded production standard by the first quarter of 2028. Certification of the GTF hot section upgrade kit, which uses 35 parts from the Advantage, is anticipated around the end of this year.

PW1500G

Pratt & Whitney expects the backlog of Airbus A220 aircraft-on-ground events linked to the PW1500G to be cleared by year-end. Recent improvements to the combustor and No. 4 bearing compartment have also been introduced. Pratt is forecast to deliver more than 180 PW1500G engines this year, most of which will power the A220-300.

PW1900G

Production of the PW1900 for Embraer’s E2 jets continues to increase, and Pratt is forecast to hand over around 76 units to the Brazilian company this year. Sharing the same combustor and bearing upgrades as the PW1500G, the PW1900G’s time on wing is also expected to maintain its upward momentum.

ROLLS-ROYCE

TRENT 1000

Rolls-Royce’s campaign to turn around Trent 1000 durability continues, with close to half the TEN fleet upgraded to the Trent 1000XE standard that incorporates an improved HP turbine and other hot section changes. A lighter turbine blade and improved combustor coating are also being introduced in a follow-on phase. The entire Trent 1000 TEN fleet is expected to be upgraded with either the first or second phase improvements by the end of 2027.

TRENT 7000

A sister engine to the Trent 1000, the Trent 7000 has been a pathfinder for the durability enhancements being introduced into both powerplants. The Airbus A330neo engine is receiving a set of second-phase improvements, which include cooling and coating changes to the HP nozzle guide vanes and turbine blades as well as a redesigned combustor-to-turbine interface taken from the latest variant of the Trent XWB-84 EP, which powers the Airbus A350-900.

TRENT XWB

Incorporating cooling and aerodynamic features developed for the higher--thrust XWB-97, the Trent XWB-84EP Enhanced Performance Program has shown a 1.8% fuel-burn saving on the A350-900 since its introduction in May 2025. Rolls is stepping up XWB-84/97 production to meet Airbus’ target of 12 A350-900/1000s per month in 2028.