MRO & Manufacturing
GE Aerospace 747 Flying Test Bed Visits Cincinnati HQ in 2026
GE Aerospace’s Boeing 747 Flying Test Bed visited Cincinnati in 2026, showcasing engine testing and supporting sustainable aviation projects.
This article is based on an official press release from GE Aerospace.
In early April 2026, a highly specialized Boeing 747-400 touched down at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). According to an official press release from GE Aerospace, the massive flying laboratory arrived to celebrate the company’s second anniversary as an independent, publicly traded entity.
Taking up residence inside a 100,000-square-foot hangar at CVG, the aircraft opened its doors to the company’s workforce. The press release notes that 1,300 GE Aerospace employees were granted access to tour the plane on April 7 and 8, offering them a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the company’s engine testing operations. The visit concluded on April 9 with a low-altitude flyover of the GE Aerospace campus in Evendale, Ohio.
For a company that relies on rigorous real-world testing to certify commercial engines, the 747 Flying Test Bed is an invaluable asset. We have reviewed the details of the aircraft’s visit, its technical capabilities, and its recent operational history to understand the significance of this corporate milestone.
A Flying Laboratory with a Fresh Look
The Aircraft’s History and Livery
The current Flying Test Bed is a Boeing 747-400 that was previously operated by Japan Airlines before GE acquired it in 2010. According to the company’s statements, it replaced an older Boeing 747-100, formerly owned by Pan Am, which served as a test bed for 24 years before being retired in 2018 to the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.
To align with GE Aerospace’s recent launch as an independent brand, the Flight Test Operations (FTO) team updated the plane’s exterior. The new design features a pristine white fuselage bisected diagonally, with the tail painted in a striking “Atmosphere Blue” and the iconic GE Monogram trademark showcased on the rudder.
“Everyone [at FTO] is really energized by the new look,” said Jon Ohman, Chief Test Pilot for GE Aerospace, in the company’s release.
Ohman, a former Marine fighter pilot, is part of a highly trained team that operates the modified aircraft under extreme conditions out of the FTO center in Victorville, California, located on the edge of the Mojave Desert.
Inside the Airborne Test Bed
Engineering and Redundancy
Before the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certifies a new commercial aircraft engine, it must undergo rigorous testing in real-world conditions. GE Aerospace achieves this by attaching the new test engine to the wing of the 747, replacing one of the aircraft’s four standard CF6 engines.
This configuration is designed with safety and operational stability in mind. The remaining three CF6 engines provide massive redundancy during test flights.
Having three additional CF6 engines on the wing “means three other sources of electrical power, three other sources of thrust, three other sources to drive the hydraulic systems. There’s lots and lots of redundancy,” explained Nathan Kamps, Principal Test Flight Engineer, according to the press release.
Data Collection at Altitude
The interior of the 747 is far from a standard commercial jet. The press release details that most coach-class seats on the main deck have been removed to make room for heavy-duty computer racks and individual engineering workstations. Only one forward galley and a couple of lavatories remain on board.
During a typical test flight, the aircraft carries a crew of 8 to 20 people. The test director sits with the two pilots in the cockpit on the upper deck. As the aircraft flies, onboard computers gather massive amounts of data, up to a terabyte per flight. This data is subsequently sent back to the Evendale headquarters for post-processing and analysis.
Advancing Sustainable Aviation
The CODEX Project and RISE Program
Beyond testing for speed and power, the Flying Test Bed is actively contributing to the future of sustainable, lower-emission aviation. In 2024, the aircraft played a crucial role in the Contrail Optical Depth Experiment (CODEX) project in partnership with NASA.
According to GE Aerospace, these flights studied contrail formation, the ribbons of ice formed when jets fly through cold, humid air, to deepen the aviation industry’s understanding of emissions. The data gathered from the CODEX tests is now helping establish a baseline for future engine testing under GE’s Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines (RISE) program.
AirPro News analysis
We view the recent visit of the Flying Test Bed to Cincinnati as a highly symbolic milestone for GE Aerospace. By bringing the California-based test aircraft to its Ohio manufacturing and corporate headquarters, the company effectively bridges the gap between theoretical engineering and real-world aviation safety.
Allowing 1,300 employees to physically walk through the aircraft serves as a powerful morale booster, connecting the daily work of engineers in Ohio with the extreme-condition testing executed by pilots in the Mojave Desert. Furthermore, the aircraft’s involvement in the 2024 NASA CODEX project underscores a critical industry shift: engine testing is no longer solely about thrust and reliability, but increasingly about environmental impact and emissions reduction.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the GE Aerospace Flying Test Bed?
It is a modified Boeing 747-400 used as an airborne laboratory to test new commercial aircraft engines in real-world conditions before they receive FAA certification.
Why did the aircraft visit Cincinnati?
The aircraft visited the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) in early April 2026 to celebrate GE Aerospace’s second anniversary as an independent, publicly traded company, allowing 1,300 employees to tour the plane.
What happens to the data collected during test flights?
The aircraft’s onboard computers can collect up to a terabyte of data per flight. This information is transmitted back to GE Aerospace’s headquarters in Evendale, Ohio, for detailed post-processing and engineering analysis.
Sources
Photo Credit: GE Aerospace
MRO & Manufacturing
Safran Opens $140M LEAP Engine MRO Facility in Mexico
Safran Aircraft Engines inaugurated a $140M LEAP engine maintenance facility in Querétaro, targeting 350 shop visits annually by 2030.
Safran Aircraft Engines officially opened a $140 million maintenance facility in Querétaro, Mexico, on July 1, 2026, expanding its capacity to service the rapidly growing global fleet of CFM LEAP engines. The new shop adds significant infrastructure to the manufacturers footprint in the Americas, targeting the high-volume narrowbody market.
The facility is part of a broader €1 billion global investment strategy by the company to scale its Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) network. The CFM LEAP engine powers next-generation narrowbody aircraft, including the Airbus A320neo family and the Boeing 737 MAX, both of which are seeing increased shop visit demand as early-delivery airframes mature.
Scaling LEAP engine maintenance in the Americas
The comprehensive MRO hub in Querétaro spans a total footprint of 50,000 square meters. Safran projects that by 2030, the two maintenance facilities located at the site will be capable of handling 350 LEAP engine shop visits annually. The site also features a new test cell designed to perform 350 engine tests per year by the end of the decade.
In a press release issued to mark the opening, Stéphane Cueille, CEO of Safran Aircraft Engines, stated that the inauguration strengthens the Querétaro hub’s role at the center of the company’s maintenance ecosystem in the Americas.
Workforce growth and training initiatives
The new engine shop will employ 450 people when operating at full capacity. This expansion adds to the existing workforce across the four Safran Aircraft Engine Services Americas facilities in Querétaro, which currently stands at 1,450 employees. Safran projects the total headcount for its Querétaro operations will reach 2,000 by 2030.
To support this rapid workforce expansion, the company established an onsite training center in partnership with local educational institutions. The center is designed to train 300 inspectors and technicians annually, creating a direct pipeline of qualified personnel for the MRO hub.
“With continued investment in Mexico and around the world we will address the growing global demand for LEAP engine maintenance while continuing to deliver world class support to our customers in the region,” Cueille said.
Global MRO network expansion
The Querétaro engine shop inauguration aligns with Safran Aircraft Engines’ €1 billion global investment plan. To support the expanding CFM LEAP engine fleet, the company recently opened similar maintenance facilities in India, Morocco, and Belgium.
The broader Safran Group is also increasing its footprint in Mexico across other divisions. On June 10, 2026, Safran Landing Systems announced an expansion of its global MRO capabilities, which included its separate Querétaro site, to support landing gear maintenance for Boeing 787, Airbus A350, and Airbus A330 aircraft.
AirPro News analysis
The aggressive expansion of Safran’s MRO network underscores the industry-wide pressure to keep next-generation narrowbody fleets operational. As the CFM LEAP engine matures and the installed base on Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX aircraft grows, shop visit demand is accelerating. We view the $140 million investment in Querétaro as a strategic move to localize heavy maintenance near major North and South American operators, reducing turnaround times and logistical bottlenecks. The concurrent focus on local workforce training highlights a critical challenge in the MRO sector: securing the qualified technicians required to meet projected maintenance volumes over the next decade.
Sources: Safran Group
Photo Credit: Safran Group
MRO & Manufacturing
Daher Aircraft Opens MRO Center at Jonzac-Neulles Airport
Daher Aircraft inaugurated a 6,000 sq-meter MRO facility at Jonzac-Neulles Airport on July 3, 2026, replacing its former Merpins site.
Daher Aircraft officially opened a 6,000-square-meter maintenance, overhaul, and logistics center at Jonzac-Neulles Airport (LFCJ) on July 3, 2026, consolidating its regional support operations and gaining direct runway access for on-aircraft services.
The purpose-built facility in France’s Charente-Maritime Department replaces the manufacturer’s previous site in Merpins, located 25 kilometers to the north. According to a press release issued by the company, the relocation ensures continuity for existing service contracts while providing the physical capacity to expand its support network for a diverse fleet of civil and military aircraft.
Expanded capabilities and runway access
The transition to Jonzac-Neulles Airport provides Daher Aircraft with direct access to a 1,370-meter runway. This infrastructure addition allows the company to perform on-aircraft maintenance and technical support that was not feasible at the landlocked Merpins location.
The center offers a broad portfolio of services, operating both under direct contract and as a supplier. Supported aircraft range from Airbus helicopters operated by the French Gendarmerie to training airplanes manufactured by Cirrus Aircraft and Grob Aircraft.
The facility houses specialized workshops for composite airframe repair, painting, welding, landing gear hydraulics, battery overhaul, and Level 2 non-destructive testing.
Legacy fleet support and regional investment
A primary function of the new hub is maintaining the global fleet of approximately 3,000 legacy general aviation and training aircraft produced by SOCATA, Daher Aircraft’s predecessor. The center will provide spare parts supply, repair services, and replacement part manufacturing for the SOCATA TB and Rallye aircraft families under the company’s Part 21J Design Organization Approval.
Local government authorities, specifically the Communauté des Communes de Haute Saintonge, spearheaded the construction of the facility. The project was initiated under former president Claude Belot and inaugurated with current president and Jonzac mayor Christophe Cabri in attendance.
“This inauguration marks another important step in Daher Aircraft’s commitment to further strengthening our global support network and the comprehensive services it provides,”
said Nicolas Chabbert, CEO of Daher Aircraft. He credited the local government’s support as instrumental in completing the project.
The operation currently employs 32 personnel who transferred from the former Merpins site. Daher Aircraft projects the workforce will increase to approximately 40 employees by the end of 2026.
AirPro News analysis
The relocation to Jonzac-Neulles Airport represents a logical infrastructure upgrade for Daher Aircraft. By securing direct runway access, the company eliminates the logistical friction of transporting aircraft components over land for overhaul and opens the door to fly-in maintenance services. We view this as a strategic consolidation that protects Daher’s lucrative legacy support business while positioning the facility to capture third-party maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) contracts for other general aviation manufacturers.
Sources: Daher Aircraft
Photo Credit: Daher Aircraft
MRO & Manufacturing
Honeywell Wins $249M Army Contract for CH-47 Chinook Engine MRO
Honeywell Aerospace secures a $249M U.S. Army contract to overhaul T55-GA-714A engines for the CH-47 Chinook fleet through May 2029.
Honeywell Aerospace has secured a $249 million contract from the U.S. Army to provide repair and overhaul services for the T55-GA-714A turboshaft engines powering the Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter fleet.
The three-year Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) agreement, announced in a June 2026 press release, ensures a continuous supply of serviceable powerplants for the military through May 2029. The U.S. Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal officially awarded the Contracts on May 21, 2026.
Commercial processes drive military maintenance efficiency
Maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) work will take place at Honeywell’s aerospace headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona. The company is applying commercial aviation maintenance methodologies to its military engine overhaul program to increase throughput and reduce turnaround times.
Brian Laughton, Senior Director and Site Leader of the Phoenix repair facility, stated that the T55 line utilizes the same processes applied to the company’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified lines for business jet turbofan engines.
Capitalizing on these proven commercial processes has enabled us to double our capacity in the facility and reduce cycle time to ensure we are meeting delivery commitments to our customers.
Legacy and evolution of the T55 engine program
The T55 engine originally entered service in 1961. Over the past six decades, Honeywell has manufactured more than 6,000 T55 engines, accumulating approximately 12 million flight hours across the CH-47 and MH-47 variants.
The powerplant has undergone significant upgrades since its introduction. The current T55-GA-714A variant produces approximately 5,000 shaft horsepower, representing a threefold increase in output compared to the original 1960s design. The engine currently supports the U.S. Army and more than 15 international military operators.
Dave Marinick, President of Engines & Power Systems at Honeywell Aerospace, noted the company’s long-term commitment to the platform, stating that Honeywell looks forward to continuing its support for the engine program for decades to come.
AirPro News analysis
We observe that cross-pollinating commercial FAA-certified maintenance practices into military depot-level work is becoming a critical strategy for aerospace Manufacturers. By doubling facility capacity without necessarily expanding the physical footprint, Honeywell is addressing the persistent supply chain and turnaround time bottlenecks that have challenged military readiness in recent years. The $249 million valuation for a three-year period highlights the intense operational tempo and heavy utilization of the global Chinook fleet.
Sources: Honeywell Aerospace
Photo Credit: Boeing
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