GE Aerospace's Evendale headquarters closed the 2026 Farnborough International Airshow on Friday, July 24, with commitments for roughly 1,800 engines and what the company called the largest single LEAP engine order in history.
CFM International, the 50/50 joint venture between GE Aerospace and France's Safran, signed a memorandum of understanding with Indian carrier IndiGo for more than 1,000 LEAP-1A engines to power 510 Airbus A320neo family aircraft, according to a GE Aerospace press release published July 23. The preliminary deal also includes CFM support for IndiGo's upcoming engine maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility, plus a long-term spare-parts agreement.
The IndiGo MOU was announced Monday, July 20, the airshow's opening day. It is not yet a final binding contract.
"IndiGo has trusted CFM to support its performance for a decade now, and we're honored to renew that trust," GE Aerospace Chairman and CEO H. Lawrence Culp Jr. said at the July 20 announcement. India is CFM's third-largest market, with five carriers operating more than 400 LEAP-powered aircraft and another 2,000 engines on order, according to VermontBiz.
Durability certification
Also during the airshow week, the FAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency certified the LEAP-1B high-pressure turbine durability kit, which doubles time on wing in hot and harsh operating environments. Initial engine-level certification of a LEAP-1B reverse bleed system was secured as well, reducing on-wing fuel nozzle replacements and lowering maintenance costs for airlines.
The LEAP program has now surpassed 10,000 engines delivered and 100 million flight hours in 10 years of service. CFM delivered 1,030 LEAP engines to Airbus and Boeing in the first half of 2026, a 41% increase over the same period in 2025, according to a GlobeNewsWire release.
Hybrid electric milestone
GE Aerospace, working with NASA, BETA Technologies, and Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences, completed the world's first hybrid electric flight above 30,000 feet on Wednesday, May 20, using a modified Saab 340B aircraft over Plattsburgh, New York. The same aircraft then flew across the Atlantic, departing Plattsburgh on Friday, June 26, and landing in Farnborough on Tuesday, July 14.
"We are proud to say: 'We did it,'" Mohamed Ali, president and CEO of GE Aerospace's Commercial Engines & Services division, said at a July 20 press briefing.
Local footprint
GE Aerospace is the corridor's largest employer. The company plans to invest $1 billion in U.S. manufacturing in 2026, including $115 million across Greater Cincinnati sites to modernize manufacturing, expand metal 3D printing, and upgrade test cells, according to its Evendale careers page. Under a UAW Local 647 contract ratified September 19, 2025, GE committed to maintaining at least 620 union-represented employees at its Evendale and Erlanger plants through September 14, 2029.
As we reported July 21, GE also secured GEnx-1B engine orders from AerCap and Philippine Airlines during the airshow week. The GEnx-1B has now surpassed 50 million flight hours in just over 14 years. Residents can reach the Evendale village administration at 513-563-2244.
