GE’s XEOS Joint Venture Aims To Boost CFM Leap MRO And Testing

The recent inauguration of GE Aerospace-Lufthansa Technik joint venture XEOS’ CFM International Leap maintenance and testing facility is the latest ramp-up in the narrowbody engine’s aftermarket network.

In March, the 380,000-ft.² XEOS facility, located in Sroda Slaska near the city of Wroclaw, was formally brought online. The site will focus on overhaul, repair and testing for Leap 1A and 1B engine variants, which power Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, respectively.

XEOS operates under a partnership split between GE Aerospace (75%) and Lufthansa Technik (LHT) (25%).

The first engine at Sroda Slaska was inducted in January, a Leap 1B for LOT Polish Airlines’ 737 MAX fleet as part of an agreement with the carrier to supplement LHT’s existing shop capacity in Hamburg. That agreement is expected to bring more Leap work from LOT. The Warsaw-based carrier operates a fleet of 18 737-8 aircraft, with another 13 on order, for a total of 62 Leap 1B engines, plus spares.

The XEOS site initially opened at the end of 2019 with a focus on General Electric GEnx-2Bs for Boeing 747-8s and the future GE9X for the 777X, the latter of which has been beset by delays and is currently scheduled to enter into service in 2026. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, GE decided to revive the facility as a Leap-focused shop in part due to high MRO demand in the near future for the engine type.

The XEOS site also supports Leap 1A module work and engine testing. In the coming months, the joint venture plans to grow its overhaul capacity and repair capability while adding test cell capability for the Leap 1B. The site has a 13-m (43-ft.) test cell originally built for the GEnx and GE9X powerplants.

XEOS Managing Director Robert Burton says the initial outlay to set up the facility cost around $250 million, and the company plans to invest around $40 million this year to help further prepare the shop for Leap models. Burton says XEOS plans to induct 36 total Leap engines in 2025, but this will increase substantially in future years, with an eventual goal to induct one every working day.

The shop currently employs 250 people; Burton says this will increase to more than 300 by year-end. “With training engines on site, we’re able to staff, train and build capability quickly to develop a talented workforce here in the Wroclaw region,” he explains.

Alan Kelly, general manager of Leap Engine Services at GE Aerospace, says the XEOS expansion will play an important role in the engine manufacturer’s broader aftermarket network growth. Kelly says the network includes GE Aerospace, CFM International joint venture partner Safran and 22 external shops. He highlights XEOS along with upgrades to other GE shops—in Tres Rios and Celma, Brazil, and Subang, Malaysia—as places where the company is investing heavily for a full overhaul capability to handle any workscope requirements.

Kelly also cites recent improvements in the supply chain, with durability fixes underway, but concedes there is still much work to be done on Leap turnaround times.

Since the Leap entered commercial service just eight years ago, Kelly believes the type will not start to have a comparable number of shop visits to the CFM56 until 2027, although its workscopes will differ from those of its more mature predecessor.

“The workscopes on a CFM56 are more advanced because the engines have been in service a lot longer,” he says. “This is not just repairs developed, but also the level of module disassembly and the maintenance levels that are necessary for that engine. By the time we get to that date, we may have a similar number of shop visits, but the content of the Leap shop visits will still be small. They won’t be full overhauls that will be in the cold section and the hot section of the engine.”