Lufthansa Technik recently marked the induction of the 100th CFM LEAP engine at its Hamburg, Germany headquarters. The latest Quick Turn Shop Visit (QTSV) of a LEAP-1B engine from Brazilian carrier GOL Linhas Aéreas brought the total to the much-anticipated triple-digit milestone. With an ever-increasing share of inductions in Hamburg, the latest-generation LEAP engine is steadily replacing the CFM56 models, which for decades formed the backbone of the site’s engine services expertise.
Engine manufacturer CFM International granted Lufthansa Technik the first LEAP-1A Premier MRO licence in February 2018. Certification by the German LBA, the European EASA and the US FAA followed in November 2019, at around the same time Lufthansa Technik secured its first airline customer. Although the customer’s first LEAP-1A engine arrived for a QTSV during the COVID pandemic in April 2020 – presenting unforeseen challenges for the shop visit – it was nevertheless completed as planned.
“Lufthansa Technik’s 100th CFM LEAP engine induction is a testament to its capabilities, and to the value of CFM’s open MRO ecosystem,” commented Gaël Méheust, President & CEO of CFM International. “As a Premier MRO shop, Lufthansa Technik is bringing important capacity to help meet the ramp in demand for LEAP engine services.”
“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”, added Harald Gloy, Chief Operations Officer at Lufthansa Technik. “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.”
