Ryanair and CFM sign multi-billion-dollar engine services deal as carrier prepares to bring MRO in-house

Ryanair has signed a multi-year, multi-billion-dollar Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CFM International covering engine material services, marking a significant shift in the airline’s long-term maintenance strategy as it prepares to internalise engine overhaul operations from 2029.

The agreement, announced in Paris on 10 February, will see CFM — the 50/50 joint venture between Safran Aircraft Engines and GE Aerospace — supply all engine spare parts directly to Ryanair under a long-term contract. The deal supports the airline’s rapidly expanding fleet, which is projected to reach 800 Boeing 737 family aircraft powered by more than 2,000 CFM engines.

Transition to In-House Engine Maintenance

For three decades, CFM has maintained Ryanair’s CFM56-7B engines under a long-term “power by the hour” arrangement. Under the new framework, Ryanair intends to assume direct responsibility for engine maintenance when it opens two dedicated engine MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) shops in Europe starting in 2029.

These facilities will support both the CFM56-7B engines fitted to Boeing 737 NG aircraft and the newer LEAP-1B engines powering the 737 MAX fleet.

Ryanair expects annual spare parts purchases under the agreement to exceed $1 billion once its in-house engine maintenance operations are fully operational.

Group CEO Michael O’Leary described the agreement as an extension of a long-standing partnership.

“From 2029 onwards, Ryanair expects to bring the maintenance of its engines ‘in-house’, and we are pleased to do so with the help and support of our partners CFM,” O’Leary said. “When Ryanair takes over all its engine maintenance in-house, we expect this contract will be worth in excess of $1bn annually to CFM.”

The airline will place substantial initial provisioning orders for spare parts to support the launch of the two new MRO facilities.

Strategic Alignment as Fleet Expands

The agreement comes as Ryanair continues to scale aggressively, targeting one of the world’s largest commercial aircraft fleets and engine portfolios. Securing long-term spare parts supply directly from the OEM aligns with its cost-control model and vertical integration strategy.

For CFM and its parent companies, the deal reinforces a key customer relationship while adapting to a more open MRO ecosystem in which airlines assume greater control over maintenance operations.

Safran CEO Olivier Andriès said the agreement strengthens a three-decade strategic relationship and supports Ryanair’s growth trajectory, particularly as the LEAP engine fleet expands globally.

GE Aerospace Chairman and CEO H. Lawrence Culp, Jr. emphasised the importance of capacity expansion and cost optimisation in meeting rising global demand.

Industry Context

The MoU reflects a broader industry trend toward hybrid MRO models, where airlines retain greater oversight of maintenance while maintaining strong OEM support for materials and technical backing. For high-utilisation carriers like Ryanair, controlling turnaround times and spare parts logistics is central to sustaining operational efficiency.

If finalised as expected, the agreement will underpin maintenance support for what is set to become one of the largest single-type narrowbody fleets in the world — reinforcing both Ryanair’s scale ambitions and CFM’s dominant position in the Boeing 737 engine market.