Lufthansa Technik celebrates 100th CFM LEAP engine induction into its Hamburg shop

Lufthansa Technik and partners recently celebrated the induction of the 100th CFM LEAP* engine at its Hamburg headquarters. The latest so-called Quick Turn Shop Visit (QTSV) of a LEAP-1B engine from the Brazilian airline GOL Linhas Aéreas finally brought the tally up to the long-awaited triple-digit figure. By assuming a constantly growing proportion of the inductions in Hamburg, the latest-generation LEAP engine is gradually taking over the role of its predecessor CFM56 models as the decades-long mainstay of engine services expertise at the site.

Engine manufacturer CFM International awarded the first LEAP-1A Premier MRO license (dubbed “CFM Branded Services Agreement” at that time) to Lufthansa Technik in February 2018. Authority approval by the German LBA, the European EASA, and the U.S. FAA followed in November 2019, around the same time Lufthansa Technik signed its first airline customer. Although the customer’s first LEAP-1A engine arrived for its QTSV during the COVID pandemic in April 2020, posing unforeseeable challenges for the shop visit, it was, nevertheless, completed as planned.

The year 2022 started with an important portfolio expansion when Lufthansa Technik obtained the OEM license for the LEAP-1B engine, as well, with the underlying framework now rebranded to Premier MRO by CFM International. However, before the first specimen of the Boeing 737 MAX powerplant arrived on the Hamburg shop floors in November 2023, Lufthansa Technik again made history on its Airbus-A320neo-powering sibling when it became the world's first company to carry out a complete Performance Restoration Shop Visit (PRSV) on a LEAP-1A in October 2022.

Gaël Méheust, President & CEO of CFM International commented: “Lufthansa Technik’s 100th CFM LEAP engine induction is a testament to its capabilities, and to the value of CFM’s open MRO ecosystem. As a Premier MRO shop, Lufthansa Technik is bringing important capacity to help meet the ramp in demand for LEAP engine services.”

Harald Gloy, Chief Operations Officer at Lufthansa Technik stated: “The successful CFM LEAP engine family is on its way to become the backbone of our engine services operations here in Hamburg, perfectly filling in for its predecessor CFM56, whose numerous variants kept us busy for decades and still do for quite some years. Reaching the 100th LEAP engine induction is a milestone well worth celebrating. I would like to express my sincere thanks: First, to our various customers for their trust in our services. Second, to CFM International for the outstanding cooperation. And, of course, to our remarkable team on the shop floor and in the back offices, whose enormous expertise and spirit made this achievement possible.”

Until today, the Hamburg engine shop has inducted a total of 74 LEAP-1A and 26 LEAP-1B powerplants. As Lufthansa Technik’s customer base for LEAP engine services has grown significantly since the first induction, the next engines are already on their way. More than 200 highly qualified experts are nowadays working on these most-modern propulsion systems, for example in assembly and disassembly, the various back shops or on the on-site test stand, which is authority-certified for the complete spectrum of run-up and performance tests on both LEAP-1A and LEAP-1B engine types.

Additional capacity for maintenance, repair, and overhaul of CFM LEAP engines is provided through Lufthansa Technik’s extensive global network. In XEOS, the company’s Poland-based joint-venture with GE Aerospace, Lufthansa Technik can already utilize extra overhaul capacity for LEAP-1B engines. In the near future, quick turn and test cell capacities for LEAP-1B engines will also be offered through Lufthansa Technik Canada, an entirely new facility the company is building up in Calgary by 2027. By 2030, Lufthansa Technik aims to achieve more than 250 annual LEAP engine inductions throughout its network.

LEAP stands for Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion and consists of three different engine families, two of which are currently commercially relevant for Lufthansa Technik. The LEAP-1A engine represents one of two powerplant options for Airbus’ A320neo family of narrowbody aircraft. The LEAP-1B engine is the exclusive propulsion option for Boeing’s 737 MAX narrowbody airliner series.

The LEAP engine family has two main shop visit types: A QTSV is a faster, more routine maintenance event focused on addressing immediate issues and getting the engine back into service quickly. A PRSV, on the other hand, is a more extensive overhaul aimed at restoring the engine to its original performance specifications.