- Increases accuracy and consistency, spotting issues sooner
- Follows successful deployment of similar AI tool for widebody GEnx engine
CINCINNATI – GE Aerospace (NYSE: GE) has started to deploy a new, AI-enabled tool to improve inspection accuracy and consistency for key components of narrowbody aircraft engines, helping return engines to service sooner amid continued air travel demand.
Trained technicians use the AI-enabled Blade Inspection Tool to take images of turbine blades that are responsible for producing much of the engine’s thrust. AI then guides technicians on the selection of which images to review, providing more consistency to spot issues sooner while cutting inspection times in half.
“Innovation is at the core of our work and remains key in keeping engines operating safely and reliably,” said Nicole Jenkins, GE Aerospace’s Chief Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Engineer. “More consistent and accurate inspections will help keep these blades healthy and the engine reliable.”
More than a dozen GE Aerospace MRO facilities and customers who also service the CFM* LEAP engine are receiving the AI-enabled tool. The same tool has been used on the GEnx widebody aircraft engine for around three years and has cut blade inspection times in half while improving the accuracy of inspections compared to standard borescope inspections.
Added Jenkins: “AI, used the right way, is proving to be a powerful tool in our work.”
The deployment of the AI-enabled tool is part of GE Aerospace’s ongoing efforts to support customers while maintaining its focus on aviation safety. The company announced in 2024 that it is investing more than $1 billion in its MRO shops during the next five years.
For more than a decade, GE Aerospace has been integrating AI across its operations and is one of the top AI patent holders in the aviation industry. Today, its employees use AI to aid work – from engine monitoring and part inspections to delivering insights that enable predictive maintenance measures. Company AI-use guidelines emphasize the importance of human oversight, data integrity and transparency to ensure AI is used appropriately.
*CFM LEAP engines are made by CFM International, a 50-50 joint company between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines.
###
ABOUT GE AEROSPACE
GE Aerospace is a global aerospace propulsion, services, and systems leader with an installed base of approximately 45,000 commercial and 25,000 military aircraft engines. With a global team of approximately 53,000 employees building on more than a century of innovation and learning, GE Aerospace is committed to inventing the future of flight, lifting people up, and bringing them home safely. Learn more about how GE Aerospace and its partners are defining flight for today, tomorrow and the future at www.geaerospace.com.
Media contact:
Matthew Lehner
Matthew.lehner@geaerospace.com
202-841-8485