IATA: Urgent action needed to ease engine MRO bottlenecks

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released a new study examining bottlenecks in the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of latest-generation single-aisle aircraft engines—namely LEAP engines from CFM, and Geared Turbofan (GTF) engines from Pratt & Whitney. The study, Single Aisle Aircraft Engines MRO: Strategic Levers to Address Supply Chain Challenges, highlights how engine durability issues, spare parts shortages, limited spare engine availability, and constrained aftermarket access are disrupting airline operations. These pressures are creating costly operational challenges including reduced engine time on wing, increased demand for engine shop visits and more complex airline maintenance planning. The number of grounded Pratt & Whitney GTF powered aircraft peaked in March 2025 at 648, 28% of the GTF-fleet. These aircraft were awaiting engine shop visits, spare engines or parts. Affected airlines have had to adapt their fleet plans, including by retaining older aircraft, extending leases or leasing additional aircraft, and adjusting capacity. The challenge is expected to grow as latest-generation single-aisle fleets expand. In 2024, single-aisle aircraft engine deliveries totalled 2,000 (800 GTF and 1,200 LEAP). Between 2030 and 2040, deliveries are expected to be stable at about 3,700/year (1,200 GTF and 2,500 LEAP). This acceleration of deliveries will significantly increase maintenance demand. Annual shop visits are forecast to rise from around 600–800 in 2025 to more than 5,000 by 2040 for LEAP engines, and 1,000 to more than 2,000 for GTF engines. “Engine MRO bottlenecks are disrupting airline operations. Without significant changes, this will only get worse as the fleet of latest-generation single-aisle aircraft grows. Manufacturers are investing in additional capacity, but capacity alone will not be enough. Airlines need better access to spare parts, more approved repair options, fair access to MRO capacity and greater competition in the aftermarket,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. While there is no single solution to alleviate the current situation, several actions have been identified where efforts across the value chain could deliver better resilience in the near and longer-term: Increase engine parts availability: Make more parts available by accelerating the development and approval of repair solutions to reduce scrap rates, expanding licensed production of critical components, and increasing access to used serviceable material recovered from engine teardowns. Ensure fair access to the MRO market: Remove barriers that limit independent MRO participation and support fair access to the parts, repair information and tools needed to develop additional capacity. This is provided for in the IATA-CFM agreement, signed in 2018 and renewed in January 2026. The agreement includes a good-practice model for supporting customer choice, regulatory approved non-OEM parts and repairs, and fair access for third-party MRO providers. Secure long-term access to spare parts: Including provisions in aircraft and engine acquisition decisions to secure long-term access to predictable spare parts pricing would provide greater certainty for airlines and lessors. This includes protections that airlines can assign to their chosen MRO providers, including independent providers. Adopt industry-wide best practices: All OEMs (engine, airframe and component) should adopt transparent and competitive aftermarket principles that support customer choice and the use of approved alternative parts and repairs certified by regulators. Delivering these priorities will require coordinated action across the aerospace supply chain. Airlines, aircraft and engine manufacturers, MRO providers and lessors must work together to improve parts availability, expand repair options and better align engine maintenance capacity with airline operational needs. “Resolving today’s disruption is the immediate priority. But long-term resilience will depend on a more transparent, competitive and collaborative aftermarket. Revisiting business models between aircraft and engine manufacturers is essential so that they better support operational resilience across the full aircraft lifecycle. The goal is to get engines back on wing faster, reduce avoidable disruption and ensure that future fleet growth is supported by the MRO capacity and market access airlines need,” said Walsh. Association outlines priorities to strengthen aviation supply chain The International Air Transport Association (IATA) identified four priorities to address persistent failures in the aerospace supply chain at the inaugural IATA World Maintenance and Engineering Symposium in Madrid: Enhance supply chain visibility. Open up the aftermarket. Unlock the value of data, digitalization, and artificial intelligence (AI). Build human capacity. “The aircraft order backlog is over 18,000. And the average fleet age has reached a record 15.2 years. Moreover, being short over 5,000 more fuel-efficient replacement aircraft that airlines had counted on, means missed efficiency gains, not to mention higher lease rates and increased maintenance costs. In total, supply chain failures cost airlines at least $11 billion in 2025. Today’s higher fuel prices will only make that worse,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. “Alongside aircraft delivery delays, engine durability issues, shortages of materials and spare parts, and constrained maintenance capacity are disrupting airline operations. Addressing these challenges will require practical action and cooperation across the aviation value chain,” said Stuart Fox, IATA’s Director, Flight and Technical Operations. Fox presented the Symposium with four measures which could contribute to improving the situation:  Enhanced Supply Chain Visibility: IATA encouraged earlier and more reliable information from manufacturers to airlines on delivery delays, repair turnaround times, parts availability, and known bottlenecks to enable airlines to better plan the operations of their global networks. Open Up the Aftermarket: IATA called for more manufacturers to commit to key principles included in the IATA-CFM agreement in support of greater aftermarket competition by reinforcing access to third-party MRO services, alternative parts, and approved repairs. Longstanding commercial restrictions on repair instructions, tooling, approved repair networks, and spares distribution can limit airlines’ ability to use safe, certified alternatives. This reduces choice and competition, contributes to longer waiting times, and increases costs.  Unlock Data, Digitalization, and AI: IATA called for better integration between airline maintenance systems and external market intelligence to improve inventory management, identify material availability and scarcity, support repair-or-replace decisions, and strengthen warranty claims. AI can further support these processes by predicting demand, identifying shortages, and reducing manual work. IATA’s cooperation with the International Airlines Technical Pool (IATP) to help airlines improve visibility of, and access to, aircraft parts, and making MRO SmartHub available to airlines at no cost through a data participation program, are two examples of initiatives supporting this priority. Build Human Capacity: IATA urged a review of recruitment, training, and licensing maintenance technicians to reduce timelines, expand reach, and improve job stability. Demand for maintenance technicians is expected to grow as evidenced by Boeing’s estimation that 710,000 new technicians will be needed over the next 20 years. Increasing training capacity, reducing unnecessary qualification bottlenecks, and creating greater recognition of skills across borders will all help to fill this gap. “The supply chain is under real pressure, but this is not a reason for pessimism. It is a reason for action. These four priorities alone are not complete solutions. But they would be an important step for OEMs, suppliers, MROs, lessors, regulators, and airlines working together to achieve the resilient aerospace supply chains that global connectivity needs,” said Fox. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Sally Passey at [email protected]