This article is based on an official press release from Ryanair Corporate News and Safran Group.

Ryanair Announces Strategic Shift to In-House Engine Maintenance in Multi-Billion Dollar Deal with CFM

Ryanair has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CFM International, marking a significant structural change in how Europe’s largest airline manages its fleet operations. Announced on February 10, 2026, the agreement outlines a transition from a fully outsourced maintenance model to an in-house program covering approximately 2,000 engines.

According to the official announcement, the deal is a multi-year engine material services agreement. While CFM International, a 50/50 joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines, will continue to provide maintenance services through 2029, Ryanair will subsequently take over these duties. Once the airline assumes full responsibility for maintenance, the purchase of spare parts and technical support is expected to generate over $1 billion annually for CFM.

Vertical Integration and New Facilities

The core of this agreement is Ryanair’s move toward vertical integration. Currently, the airline utilizes a “power-by-the-hour” contract where maintenance is outsourced. Under the new terms, Ryanair plans to construct two dedicated engine Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) shops in Europe to service its fleet of CFM56-7B and LEAP-1B engines.

The airline is currently evaluating five potential locations for these new facilities: Spain, Portugal, Italy, the Baltic states, and Northern Ireland. The operational timeline provided in the announcement targets the opening of the first facility by the end of 2028, with the second following in 2029. These facilities are projected to create significant employment opportunities, with approximately 600 highly skilled roles expected at each site.

In a statement regarding the strategic pivot, Ryanair Group CEO Michael O’Leary emphasized the operational benefits of the move:

“For the last 30 years, CFM has been maintaining all of Ryanair’s CFM56 engines under a long-term ‘power by the hour’ contract. However, 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 partner CFM.”

Supporting Fleet Expansion

This agreement is designed to support Ryanair’s aggressive growth trajectory. The airline currently operates a fleet of over 600 aircraft, which is projected to grow to 800 by 2034. The maintenance agreement covers the entirety of this fleet, including the Boeing 737 Next-Generation (NG) and the Boeing 737 MAX “Gamechanger” aircraft.

Olivier Andriès, CEO of Safran, noted the scale of the partnership in the press release:

“Ryanair is our largest airline customer… We are committed to support the airline, supplying spares to help Ryanair service its engines.”

AirPro News Analysis

This move represents a classic maturation step for an ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) of Ryanair’s scale. By moving engine maintenance in-house, Ryanair reduces its exposure to external MRO slot constraints and third-party pricing fluctuations. While the upfront capital investment to build two MRO facilities is substantial, the long-term control over turnaround times and technical quality aligns with Ryanair’s obsession with operational efficiency and cost reduction. Furthermore, securing a direct supply line for parts with CFM ensures that despite “insourcing” the labor, the airline maintains a direct link to the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) for critical components.

Sources

• Ryanair Corporate News

This article is based on an official press release from Garmin.

Garmin Expands Aviation Footprint with New Mesa Gateway Airports Facility

Garmin (NYSE: GRMN) has announced the acquisition of a significant hangar and office complex at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (KIWA) in Mesa, Arizona. The move, confirmed on February 10, 2026, represents a strategic expansion of the company’s flight testing and aircraft Certification capabilities.

According to the company’s official statement, the new facility will serve as a dedicated hub for its flight test organizations. By securing this infrastructure, Garmin aims to support the rigorous testing required for airworthiness approvals of its growing portfolio of avionics systems. The expansion complements the company’s existing flight operations in Kansas and Oregon while leveraging its long-standing engineering presence in the Greater Phoenix area.

Facility Specifications and Capabilities

The newly acquired complex encompasses approximately 75,000 square feet of space, consisting of two adjacent hangars and attached office facilities. Garmin states that the location is designed to accommodate roughly 75 associates, including flight test pilots, certification engineers, and technical support staff.

Phil Straub, Garmin’s Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Aviation, highlighted the importance of the expansion in the press release:

“This new facility at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport provides us with the dedicated capacity needed to conduct year-round flight testing and certification activities, ensuring we can continue to deliver innovative avionics solutions to the market.”

The facility will focus primarily on the testing of complex systems, such as the recently launched G5000 PRIME integrated flight deck and Autoland technologies. The infrastructure at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, specifically its three parallel runways, two of which exceed 10,000 feet, allows Garmin to test a wide variety of aircraft, ranging from light piston planes to large business jets.

Strategic Rationale and Regional Impact

Garmin’s decision to expand in Mesa is driven by both environmental and logistical factors. The region’s generally clear weather allows for consistent flight schedules with minimal disruption, a critical advantage over locations subject to harsher winter conditions. Furthermore, the new hangar is situated near Garmin’s existing engineering hubs in Chandler and Scottsdale, fostering closer collaboration between flight test engineers and the software and hardware teams developing the technology.

AirPro News Analysis

This acquisition underscores a broader trend identified by industry observers, often described as the “Apple of Aviation” strategy. As noted by outlets such as The Air Current, Garmin is increasingly moving toward a fully integrated ecosystem that combines hardware, software, and services.

We observe that as Garmin introduces more dynamic services, such as the recently launched SmartCharts, and highly integrated flight decks, the burden of certification increases. Owning a dedicated facility in a weather-stable region allows the company to accelerate the certification hours required by the FAA, reducing bottlenecks in bringing these complex integrated products to market. This infrastructure investment signals long-term confidence in the business aviation sector, aligning with the company’s reported aviation revenue growth of 14-18% in late 2025.

Mesa’s Growing Aerospace Cluster

The acquisition places Garmin among a high-profile list of tenants at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. The location has become a magnet for aerospace and industrial expansion, recently attracting major players such as Gulfstream Aerospace and Virgin Galactic.

According to local economic data, the airport is evolving into a premier hub for the industry. Mesa Mayor Mark Freeman has publicly promoted the city as an “international magnet for business,” citing the arrival of advanced Manufacturing and logistics firms. Garmin’s investment reinforces this status, adding high-skill roles to the local economy and strengthening the region’s aerospace ecosystem.

Sources: PR Newswire (Garmin Press Release), The Air Current, Garmin Investor Relations

This article is based on an official press release from AkzoNobel.

AkzoNobel Launches Single-Coat Aerobase Solution to Streamline MRO Operations

AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings has officially introduced a new single-coat Aerobase basecoat solution aimed at the global Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) market. According to a company press release issued on February 9, 2026, the new formulation is designed to replace traditional two-coat application processes, offering significant improvements in operational efficiency and sustainability.

The announcement, which coincides with the product’s showcase at MRO Middle East 2026 in Dubai, highlights a major shift in aerospace painting protocols. By enabling a validated single-coat system, AkzoNobel claims the product reduces application time and complexity while delivering a consistent finish across mixed fleets. The system is currently certified for immediate use worldwide.

Technical Innovation: The “Cross-Coat” Application

The core of this development lies in the formulation’s enhanced physical properties. AkzoNobel reports that the new Aerobase solution offers a 40% increase in sag resistance compared to the original system. This improvement allows painters to apply a thicker wet film in a single “cross-coat” pass without the risk of the paint running or sagging on vertical fuselage surfaces.

Traditionally, achieving full opacity and a smooth finish required two separate basecoat applications, often with a flash-off period in between. The new system eliminates the need for the second coat while maintaining the required hiding power and surface quality. AkzoNobel states that this reduction in process steps is achieved without compromising the durability or appearance of the final finish.

Sustainability and Weight Reduction

Beyond operational speed, the single-coat system addresses critical sustainability metrics for airlines. Data provided by AkzoNobel indicates that the new process results in a significantly thinner paint layer.

Field Testing Results

Field tests conducted in 2025 on a single-aisle aircraft demonstrated a 36% reduction in total film thickness compared to the previous two-coat system. In the aviation sector, where every kilogram counts, this reduction translates directly to lower aircraft operating weight.

According to the press release, this weight saving contributes to reduced fuel burn and associated CO2 emissions over the lifespan of the aircraft. The company emphasizes that these environmental benefits are achieved alongside improved finish consistency.

Operational Impact for MROs

The development of the single-coat Aerobase was driven by the specific needs of MRO facilities, which face constant pressure to increase throughput and reduce turnaround times. Aurore Bournazel, Segment Manager OEM, MRO & Airlines at AkzoNobel, highlighted the practical focus of the innovation in a statement.

“MROs are under constant pressure to improve efficiency without compromising quality. This latest Aerobase development enables a validated single-coat process that simplifies application, improves consistency and delivers measurable performance benefits.”

Aurore Bournazel, AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings

AirPro News Analysis

The shift toward single-coat systems represents a logical evolution in aerospace coatings, particularly as the industry grapples with supply chain constraints and labor shortages. By removing an entire application pass, MROs can theoretically release aircraft back to operators faster. Furthermore, while sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) often dominate the “Net Zero” conversation, weight reduction remains one of the most immediate and cost-effective methods for airlines to lower emissions. A 36% reduction in basecoat thickness, applied across a global fleet, represents a tangible efficiency gain that requires no change in engine technology or fuel infrastructure.

Availability and Future Rollout

AkzoNobel has confirmed that the enhanced Aerobase single-coat solution is available immediately in the most commonly used aerospace white colors. The product is certified for the MRO mixed fleet market, with Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) testing and approval scheduled to follow.

To support the rollout, the company is conducting additional applications with two MRO partners on both single-aisle and wide-body aircraft. These trials are intended to generate robust real-world performance data regarding efficiency and finish quality. The product is planned for a broader global rollout throughout 2026.

Attendees of MRO Middle East 2026 can view the solution at the AkzoNobel booth (1620).

Sources

• AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings