FARNBOROUGH—The maintenance division of Delta Air Lines has joined the CFM International repair network for the Leap 1B engine.
The announcement, made July 18 at the Farnborough International Airshow, will see Atlanta-based Delta TechOps enter a CFM branded service agreement to become a Leap 1B maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) provider for the engine OEM.
The deal coincides with the MRO’s airline parent announcing an order for 100 Leap 1B -powered Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, an order that also includes options for 30 additional aircraft.
On the same day of the 737 MAX order, Delta also confirmed an agreement with CFM for 200 Leap 1B engines to power the new aircraft.
CFM has developed an in-house engine repair capability through its CFM Services division while also adding third-party MRO providers to its network. Over the past 18 months, companies such as Lufthansa Technik, ST Engineering and SR Technics have gained approval for the Leap 1B engine.
CFM says Delta TechOps will be the first company in North America with Leap 1B repair capability.
“Leap shop visit demand will grow rapidly in the next 5-10 years due to the volume of engines in service. This agreement is another critical step to expanding our open MRO network support,” says Tom Levin, vice president, aftermarket strategic solutions for CFM International’s parent company GE Aviation.
Aviation Week’s Fleet & MRO Forecast projects an MRO market of $42.6 billion for the Leap 1B from 2022-31.
