StandardAero Expands Services to Include LEAP Engine Leasing

StandardAero Expands Services to Include LEAP Engine Leasing

Launch of LEAP Engine Leasing Program

StandardAero has announced the introduction of short-term leasing services for CFM International’s LEAP engines, aiming to support operators during shop visits and reduce aircraft downtime. The U.S.-based maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) provider, which became one of the first five members of CFM’s Premier MRO network last year, has secured agreements with multiple engine lessors to offer LEAP-1A and LEAP-1B engines. These engines power the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, and the leasing program is designed to serve airlines and asset managers within StandardAero’s customer base.

Market Context and Strategic Positioning

This expansion occurs amid significant challenges in the new-generation engine leasing market. Industry estimates, including those from ELFC, project liquidity demand for new-generation engine leasing to reach approximately $20 billion by 2033. The market is characterized by strong demand for leased midlife engines and extended overhaul timelines. Additionally, the complexity and high costs associated with overhauling new-generation engines continue to pose difficulties for both lessors and MRO providers. In response, competitors are increasingly relying on established MRO firms such as ST Engineering for heavy maintenance of LEAP engines to sustain their market positions.

StandardAero’s initiative follows its signing of a non-airline CFM Branded Service Agreement in March 2023, which granted the company access to the LEAP aftermarket network. The company subsequently converted its San Antonio facility to specialize in quick-turn and performance restoration shop visits for the LEAP-1A and LEAP-1B variants, supported by two correlated test cells. By the end of 2023, the Texas site had achieved full LEAP capability, prompting the relocation of other engine product lines to accommodate the increased LEAP workload.

Capacity Expansion and Workforce Development

Will Pitcher, StandardAero’s Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Customers, highlighted that the new leasing program is intended to help customers maximize aircraft operational availability while mitigating the overall cost impact of maintenance events. In April, StandardAero reached an agreement with CFM International to enhance operational efficiency at the San Antonio facility and expand throughput capacity by 2029, anticipating a threefold increase in LEAP shop visits by the end of the decade.

To prepare for this anticipated growth, StandardAero is industrializing component repair capabilities for the LEAP engine family, having developed more than 300 component repairs to date. The company is also investing heavily in workforce development, training LEAP technicians at its in-house San Antonio training center. Staffing at the site is expected to increase substantially, with 100 new hires projected in 2024 and a target of 400 additional employees by 2027, bringing the total workforce at the location to nearly 1,000.

StandardAero’s expansion into LEAP engine leasing and maintenance highlights the evolving dynamics of the engine aftermarket, as operators and lessors contend with rising demand, extended overhaul cycles, and the critical need for reliable MRO partnerships.