AerFin says a shortage of high-pressure turbine (HPT) blades has become the biggest constraint on CFM International CFM56 engine overhauls, extending maintenance cycles, increasing demand for spare engines and reshaping how airlines manage shop visits.
The bottleneck is no longer repair capacity but the availability of replacement blades, with supply constraints continuing to ripple across the aftermarket. While production is gradually improving, AerFin says the imbalance between demand and available material remains significant.
“The primary issue is OEM supply,” David Hobbs, vice president for sales at AerFin, tells Aviation Week. “Production of new HPT blades has not kept pace with global MRO [maintenance, repair and overhaul] demand due to manufacturing constraints. While output is increasing, it will take time for supply to catch up with demand.”
The shortage extends beyond new production. Hobbs says supplies of used serviceable material have also tightened, particularly for blades with significant remaining life.
HPT blades with around 10,000 or more remaining cycles are increasingly difficult to source on the secondary market, Hobbs says. Even when engines arriving for overhaul contain repairable mid-life blades, scrap rates can exceed 50%, depending on the engine’s operating environment and duty cycles.
Despite the pressure on engine maintenance providers, Hobbs says repair capacity itself is not the principal constraint. He notes that repair turnaround times for overhauled HPT blades at the OEM have remained relatively stable at around 45 days.
Instead, replacement-blade availability has become the defining factor determining how quickly CFM56 engines move through overhaul.
“HPT blade availability has become the single biggest factor affecting engine turnaround times,” Hobbs says. “Delays in securing replacement blades are extending shop visit durations and creating knock-on effects throughout the aftermarket.”
The shortage is also changing maintenance planning. Rather than waiting for extended shop visits to conclude, “airlines are increasingly exploring alternatives to traditional shop visits,” Hobbs says.
He cites engine exchange as one approach gaining momentum, allowing operators to lease or acquire a serviceable replacement while the removed engine undergoes overhaul. The strategy helps airlines avoid extended shop visit delays and reduces the operational and financial impact of prolonged engine downtime.
Longer overhaul cycles are also placing additional strain on the spare-engine market.
“Extended MRO turnaround times are increasing demand for short-term lease engines to cover aircraft while engines are in the shop,” Hobbs says. “This additional demand is pushing up leasing costs and placing further pressure on the spare-engine market.”
As a result, operators face higher maintenance costs, while MRO providers contend with longer turnaround times and increased pressure to secure critical material.
Although supply conditions remain tight, Hobbs believes the market is beginning to move in the right direction. Based on current OEM guidance, he expects supply conditions to begin improving toward year-end or early 2027, although he cautions that it will take time for higher production rates to filter through the supply chain and restore market balance.
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