The International Air Transport Association (IATA), in partnership with aviation consulting firm Emerton, has released a comprehensive study highlighting growing maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) challenges affecting the latest generation of single-aisle aircraft engines.
The report, titled “Single Aisle Aircraft Engines MRO: Strategic Levers to Address Supply Chain Challenges,“ examines the mounting pressures facing airlines operating CFM International’s LEAP engines and Pratt & Whitney’s Geared Turbofan (GTF) engines. According to the study, engine durability concerns, spare parts shortages, limited availability of spare engines, and restricted access to aftermarket services are creating significant operational and financial burdens for airlines worldwide.
The findings were unveiled during the inaugural IATA World Maintenance and Engineering Symposium (WEMS) in Madrid, where supply chain resilience and MRO capacity emerged as key themes for the global aviation industry.
Grounded aircraft underscore scale of the challenge
One of the report’s most striking findings concerns the impact of Pratt & Whitney’s GTF engine issues on airline operations. In March 2025, the number of grounded GTF-powered aircraft reached 648, representing approximately 28 per cent of the global GTF fleet. These aircraft were awaiting engine shop visits, spare engines, or critical replacement parts, highlighting the extent of the disruption currently affecting operators.
As a result, airlines have been forced to adopt various mitigation strategies, including retaining older aircraft longer than planned, extending lease agreements, leasing additional aircraft, and adjusting network capacity to compensate for unavailable assets.
The situation has created significant operational complexity at a time when airlines are already facing aircraft delivery delays and increasing passenger demand.
Fleet growth set to drive surge in engine maintenance demand
While the industry continues to focus on resolving current challenges, the report warns that a much larger wave of maintenance demand is approaching. Latest-generation single-aisle aircraft continue to dominate airline fleet expansion plans globally. In 2024 alone, approximately 2,000 single-aisle engines were delivered, including around 800 Pratt & Whitney GTF engines and 1,200 CFM LEAP engines.
Looking ahead, annual deliveries are expected to stabilise at approximately 3,700 engines per year between 2030 and 2040, comprising around 1,200 GTF engines and 2,500 LEAP engines annually.
This rapid fleet growth will inevitably drive a dramatic increase in engine maintenance requirements.
According to the study, annual shop visits for LEAP engines are expected to rise from approximately 600-800 visits in 2025 to more than 5,000 by 2040. Meanwhile, GTF engine shop visits are forecast to increase from around 1,000 annually to more than 2,000 during the same period.
The report suggests that without significant action across the aviation ecosystem, existing bottlenecks could intensify as maintenance demand accelerates.
Capacity expansion won’t solve the problem
Commenting on the findings, Willie Walsh, Director General of IATA, warned that increasing MRO capacity alone will not be sufficient to address the industry’s challenges. “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,” said Walsh.
“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.” The report argues that while OEMs and MRO providers continue to invest in infrastructure and shop capacity, broader structural reforms are required to improve overall supply chain resilience.
Four priorities for building resilience
The IATA-Emerton study identifies four key actions that could significantly improve engine MRO resilience in both the short and long term.
Increasing spare parts availability
The report recommends accelerating the development and regulatory approval of repair solutions to reduce unnecessary component scrappage and increase the availability of serviceable parts.
It also calls for expanding licensed production of critical engine components and improving access to used serviceable material recovered from engine teardowns, helping operators secure parts more efficiently during supply chain disruptions.
Ensuring fair access to the MRO market
The study highlights the importance of removing barriers that restrict participation by independent MRO providers. According to IATA, greater access to repair data, tooling, approved repair procedures, and spare parts would help create additional maintenance capacity and foster competition within the aftermarket.
The report points to the long-standing IATA-CFM agreement, originally signed in 2018 and renewed in January 2026, as a positive example of industry collaboration. The agreement supports customer choice, access to third-party MRO providers, and the use of regulator-approved alternative parts and repairs.
Securing long-term spare parts access
IATA also recommends that airlines and lessors negotiate stronger spare parts access provisions when purchasing aircraft and engines.
Such arrangements would provide greater certainty around future parts pricing, availability, and maintenance support while enabling airlines to utilise their preferred MRO providers, including independent maintenance organisations.
Promoting aftermarket best practices
The study further encourages OEMs across the aviation value chain—including engine, airframe, and component manufacturers—to adopt more transparent and competitive aftermarket principles.
These measures would support greater customer choice while allowing operators access to approved alternative repairs and certified replacement parts without compromising safety or regulatory compliance.
The report concludes that improving MRO resilience will require coordinated action from airlines, OEMs, suppliers, lessors, and maintenance providers. While addressing current engine-related disruptions remains a priority, IATA believes the industry must also focus on creating a more transparent, collaborative, and competitive aftermarket ecosystem capable of supporting future fleet growth.
Walsh noted that long-term resilience will depend not only on increasing maintenance capacity but also on rethinking existing business models between aircraft manufacturers, engine OEMs, airlines, and aftermarket providers.
“Resolving today’s disruption is the immediate priority. But long-term resilience will depend on a more transparent, competitive and collaborative aftermarket,” Walsh said.
“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.”
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Challenge for the MRO industry
For the global MRO sector, the findings reinforce a reality that has become increasingly evident over the past several years: maintenance capacity, spare parts availability, and aftermarket access are no longer operational issues alone—they have become strategic business priorities.
As airlines continue to expand their fleets and engine shop visit requirements accelerate, the industry’s ability to build resilient supply chains, increase repair capabilities, and foster greater collaboration across the value chain will play a critical role in sustaining operational reliability and supporting the next phase of aviation growth.
