TAP Maintenance & Engineering (TAP M&E) is investing several million euros to develop more CFM Leap 1A engine MRO capabilities, including updating its engine test cell to accommodate the powerplant.
Services under development will include piece-part repairs, full overhaul, and test cell capabilities, says Filipe Morais de Almeida, TAP M&E VP marketing and sales. TAP expects to be able to offer those new capabilities to third parties in the first half of 2024.
TAP flies Leap 1A engines on its Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft “so we understand the customers’ problems and concerns because we have the same problems,” Almeida says. One such problem is inspecting high-pressure turbine blades for cracks, as mandated by a 2022 EASA airworthiness directive.
He says the market has been asking for test cell services, which are required after major refurbishment. Having this capability onsite should lower turnaround time because the service does not have to be subcontracted.
Due to high engine MRO demand, Almeida says TAP M&E also is increasing its capacity by hiring more people and exploring the development of additional in-house repairs for other engine types. “One of our strong value propositions is good turnaround time, even with the market’s supply chain constraints, because we develop a lot of repairs in-house,” he says. “If we spot an opportunity to develop a repair, we do it.”
TAP M&E performs about 100 heavy engine shop visits annually in its 8,700 m² (94,000 ft.²) shop in Lisbon.
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