Polish MRO provider XEOS has said it will begin servicing CFM Leap engines next year.
The joint venture between GE Aerospace and Lufthansa Technik was set up in 2019 to support GEnx-2B and GE9X engines, only for the pandemic a year later to undermine MRO demand for those widebody engines, which led to XEOS freezing operations in early 2021.
Now, though, the company is growing again and is looking to increase staff from 60 to 100 by the time it inducts its first Leap engine.
“We are excited to be growing our operations, supporting MRO for Leap customers around the globe,” says Rob Burton, XEOS site leader. “With the aviation sector reaching full recovery, we will be ready to support the ever-growing need for LEAP engine services.”
XEOS’ 337,000 ft.2 facility features a repair hall, a training center and a test cell.
Aviation Week’s 2024 Commercial Fleet & MRO Forecast predicts that the CFM Leap maintenance market in Europe will be worth almost $800 million next year—when there is a spike in work due to OEM upgrades—and $2.4 billion by 2031.
This is much larger than the local market for XEOS’ current capabilities. Annual maintenance demand in Europe for the GEnx-2 and GE9X combined is forecast to rise from around $250 million next year to $900 million in 2031.
Demand within Poland itself for Leap maintenance is forecast to reach a decade-high of almost $100 million in 2028.
For a detailed look at the narrowbody engine maintenance markets in Europe and beyond, see the forthcoming Engine Yearbook 2024.
