Abu Dhabi-based Sanad will expand its existing offload agreement for the CFM International Leap engine to have full overhaul capability by 2027.
The engine repair specialist announced July 7 that it had agreed to terms with the GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines joint venture for the Leap-1A and -1B variants, which power Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, respectively. The expanded agreement will see the MRO provider undertake full overhauls in just under two years’ time.
Sanad has repaired Leap engines since 2023 and to date has completed more than 35 shop visits on the engine family. The company is on track to achieve full in-house testing capabilities for both engine variants by the end of 2025.
To support the expansion, Sanad plans to invest in infrastructure and new tooling, equipment and operational capabilities at its existing MRO and test cell facilities in Abu Dhabi. Long term, the company said it expects to create 140 new jobs targeting Emirati nationals in line with Sanad’s long-term recruitment goals.
Mansoor Janahi, MD and Group CEO of Sanad, said the agreement “reflects the company’s commitment to quality, innovation, technical expertise and outstanding service excellence” while advancing the United Arab Emirates’ ambition to be a global center for aerospace technology and industrial advancement.
Sanad’s expanded Leap services follows the company joining the aftermarket rivalry for the Leap’s narrowbody market rival, the Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan (GTF) engine. The 30-year agreement, signed in February, will see the company conduct GTF services out of a new designated MRO facility in Abu Dhabi. The facility, located at Al Ain Aerospace Park, will be able to handle up to 350 engine shop visits annually once open in the third quarter of 2028.
To meet the increased volume of Leap deliveries, CFM International has continued growing its aftermarket capacity for the engine family this year. At the beginning of 2025, United Aerospace Maintenance Company, which operates in Larnaca, Cyprus, inducted its first Leap engine and will conduct quick-turn services on the engine type.
According to Aviation Week’s Fleet & MRO Forecast, more than 13,000 Leap-1B engines will be delivered between this year and 2034 with more than 10,500 Leap-1A variants expected to be delivered into the fleet during the same 10-year period.
In March, XEOS, a Poland-based joint venture between GE Aerospace and Lufthansa Technik, formally brought its Leap maintenance and testing facility online. More recently, MTU Maintenance announced plans to expand its U.S. presence in Fort Worth and will include capability to establish full disassembly, assembly and testing of CFM Leap powerplants alongside the GE Aerospace-manufactured GEnx engine.
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