FTAI Aviation has taken further steps to penetrate the Asian market with its CFM International CFM56 module exchange business.
At this week’s Hello America 2026 Investment Conference, the U.S. company and Vietnam’s biggest carrier, VietJet Air, agreed to explore establishing quick-turn capabilities at Long Thanh International Airport, the developing mega-hub that has attracted several large MRO projects in recent years.
VietJet is currently building a larger MRO facility at the airport near Ho Chi Minh City, which received its first commercial flight in December 2025. Once completed, the facility will cover two hangars capable of servicing 10 aircraft simultaneously.
Flag carrier Vietnam Airlines also has maintenance aspirations at Long Thanh: Last year, subsidiary Vietnam Airlines Engineering Company began exploring with Korean Air the possibility of launching an MRO joint venture with proposed capabilities including fuselage maintenance.
VietJet, meanwhile, is also looking to develop capabilities on new-generation engines via a preliminary deal with Pratt & Whitney. The parties intend to jointly research a road map for developing MRO capabilities for geared turbofan engines in Vietnam and the wider Asia-Pacific market.
Elsewhere in the region, FTAI Aviation has bolstered a collaboration with GMF AeroAsia, first announced in August. Building on an existing relationship in which GMF provides engine maintenance services and guaranteed capacity for FTAI, the strategic partnership provides a foundation to progressively expand into deeper module and piece-part capabilities and next-generation engines, including the CFM Leap.
“The region is home to a large and growing share of our customer base,” said FTAI president David Moreno. “Bringing committed engine volumes to GMF puts maintenance capacity closer to those customers with faster turnaround times. Backed by an established facility, a skilled workforce and FTAI’s technical support, GMF is well positioned to expand into module and piece-part repair and help extend the life of the CFM56 engine.”
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