By Dave Hobbs, VP Sales, AerFin

Global demand for engine maintenance continues to climb, but the parts needed to complete repairs aren’t always keeping pace with that demand.

As airlines work to keep aircraft flying during a period of prolonged supply-chain disruption, engine MRO capacity has become one of the most closely watched pressure points in the market.

Shortages shaping the market

Across multiple fleets, the availability of critical engine material remains the defining feature of the aftermarket.

For the CFM56, the industry-wide shortage of high-pressure turbine (HPT) blades is the single biggest bottleneck. With demand far exceeding the flow of replacement parts, turnaround timelines have stretched significantly.

V2500 SelectOne operators face a different, but related, challenge. As aircraft transitions are expected to rise sharply in the latter part of 2026, demand for both engine and airframe MRO capacity is increasing across the market.

Engine shop visit inductions are already rising across all major MROs, placing additional strain on an ecosystem that is not yet seeing a corresponding increase in engine teardowns.

As a result, the supply of used serviceable material remains thin. In practice, this leaves shops more reliant on newly manufactured core parts – and more exposed to the delays affecting original equipment manufacturer (OEM) production lines, at a higher price point.

Compounding the issue, some large MROs are prioritising their own fleet customers, reducing the volume of third-party capacity available and pushing more work toward independent repair specialists.

Rising turnaround times, and a widening gap from pre-2020 norms

Turnaround time (TAT) now varies depending on workscope and engine type. Light workscopes remain manageable, but full overhauls are facing long delays due to parts scarcity.

Typical current turnaround ranges:

• CFM56 – 90–120 days for full overhaul / ~45 days for light work
• V2500 – 60–70 days / ~45 days
• PW4000 – 120+ days / ~60 days
• CF6 – 120+ days / ~60 days
• PW1100G-JM GTF – 260–365 days.

By comparison, pre-pandemic full overhauls for CFM56 and V2500 engines were commonly completed in around 60 days. Older platforms typically needed about 90.

The result is predictable: extended time on wing where possible, deferred shop visits, and rising pressure to secure used material, feedstock, and teardown opportunities.

Repair complexity continues to increase

Modern engines are delivering leaps forward in efficiency, but the technology driving those gains is also reshaping what’s possible in the repair chain.

The most challenging work now sits in turbine components, combustors, and composite fan blades. These parts rely on advanced alloys, high-performance thermal coatings, and composite structures that offer significant advantages in service, but limit the number of repair techniques that can be applied outside of OEM-approved processes.

For operators and MROs, that means more reliance on specialised repair partners, greater dependency on OEM solutions, and – in some cases – higher material cost.

What comes next?

With demand for capacity rising and availability of parts still constrained, the pressure on engine maintenance is unlikely to ease in the short term. Access to feedstock and teardown inventory will continue to play a decisive role across CFM56 and V2500 fleets, while GTF supply chain issues remain a long-term story.

What is clear, however, is that material planning, lifecycle strategy and trusted partnerships are becoming just as important as shop-slot availability itself.

For operators, lessors and MROs, securing access to quality used serviceable material is becoming an increasingly important part of the solution. Strategic teardowns, effective asset management and strong supply-chain partnerships can help reduce dependence on constrained OEM production lines, improve material availability and support more predictable maintenance outcomes.

This is where the aviation aftermarket has a vital role to play. At AerFin, we work with customers to unlock value from aircraft and engine assets, providing access to quality material through teardowns, asset management and global supply-chain support.

In a market where delays are increasingly driven by material shortages rather than shop capacity alone, the ability to source, manage and redeploy aviation assets effectively will remain a key differentiator.

Article released by AerFin on June 16, 2026.