CTS Expands Airbus A380 Engine Capacity

CHICAGO—Despite expectations that the Airbus A380 fleet would sunset following COVID, utilization has been increasing.

Airbus stopped producing the A380 in 2021 and the consensus assumption was that the mega-transports would largely remained parked after the pandemic. However, 189 of the 251 A380s manufactured are back in service, according to Aviation Week Network’s Fleet Discovery database.

In response to renewed demand, CTS Engines opened a facility in Coral Springs, Florida, in February to provide MRO services for the A380's GP7200 powerplant.

CTS inducted its first GP7200 at its Fort Lauderdale facility in October because the new Coral Springs facility was not ready at the time. It has seven A380 engines in progress. CTS is moving all of those powerplants to Coral Springs over the next year.

Engine Alliance, which builds the GP7200, selected CTS Engines to perform MRO on the engine in 2023.

CTS is contracted to maintain two engines per month, but it has the ability to surge to three per month if demand increases, according to the company. The contract with Engine Alliance calls for 24 engines annually for at least four years.

Aviation Week data forecasts the A380 fleet will produce 97,800 cycles in 2024. The fleet will gradually decline with four retirements expected this year, five in 2025 and four in 2026.

This translates to a low MRO growth rate—of 0.4% over the decade, according to Aviation Week data.

In related news, CTS Engines completed a test cell correlation for the GE CF6-80E1 engine at its Fort Lauderdale facility. It is planning the complete 18 engines annually—in a mix of workscopes, including overhaul.