Source: Iberia
- Iberia’s engine shop in La Muñoza will be positioned as a strategic LEAP hub in Europe
- First LEAP engine maintenance operations to begin in the first quarter of 2027
Iberia, together with International Airlines Group (IAG), has reached an agreement with CFM International to obtain a CFM LEAP Premier MRO license covering LEAP-1A and LEAP-1B engines, reinforcing the global support ecosystem for CFM’s fastest-growing engine family.
As part of the agreement, Iberia’s engine shop in La Muñoza, located next to Madrid-Barajas Airport and with more than 50 years of experience, will be positioned as a strategic hub for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) activities for LEAP engines in Europe within CFM’s global ecosystem. Its capabilities will be progressively expanded to support operators worldwide, including IAG airline fleets, with the first LEAP engine inductions scheduled for the first quarter of 2027.
“Becoming a CFM LEAP Premier MRO provider places IAG and Iberia in a strategic position to develop a business with significant growth and profitability potential. This agreement strengthens our international presence, consolidating our position among the world’s leading operators in the maintenance of single-aisle aircraft engines,” said Marco Sansavini, CEO of Iberia. “In the current context of high macroeconomic and geopolitical volatility, long-term investments such as this—part of our Flight Plan 2030—enable us to advance Iberia’s transformation, strengthening profitability, cost efficiency and operational resilience, and better preparing us for future challenges.”
“IAG and Iberia have been long-standing partners of CFM—from maintaining CFM56 engines since 1992 to becoming the first airline to receive an A321XLR equipped with LEAP-1A engines. We are delighted to welcome them into the LEAP Premier MRO ecosystem,” said the President and CEO of CFM International. “We expect shop visits for CFM LEAP engines to increase significantly toward the end of this decade as the fleet continues to grow. The addition of IAG to the LEAP MRO network reflects our commitment to an open ecosystem that will continue to strengthen world-class support for our customers.”
LEAP engines power more than 4,600 aircraft, including most Airbus A320neo aircraft and the entire Boeing 737 MAX family. Orders have grown steadily, resulting in a strong backlog.
CFM LEAP Premier MRO shops are part of an open ecosystem in which CFM, Premier MRO providers and independent shops compete for maintenance activity. Premier MRO license holders benefit from the highest level of training and support from CFM, as well as greater access to proprietary overhaul and repair technologies. This ecosystem fosters competition, enabling operators to optimize costs, secure maintenance slots with turnaround times tailored to their needs, and help preserve engine residual value, as already seen with the CFM56.