FARNBOROUGH, England, July 18 (Reuters) - Jet engine maker CFM International said it had won U.S. and European approvals for an upgrade that would improve durability of engines used on Boeing 737 MAX jets.
The world's largest engine maker by units sold, jointly owned by GE Aerospace and France's Safran, said the "durability kit" for LEAP-1B engines would echo improvements available for Airbus A320neo jets powered by the LEAP-1A model.
It will double "time on wing" or gaps between key repairs in hot
and harsh environments like the Middle East and India, CFM executives told a briefing ahead of the Farnborough Airshow.
Long waiting times for repairs have been a major concern for airlines and hobbled part of their fleets in recent years, though disruption has been gradually easing.
The problems stem from significant fuel savings in the latest generation of engines that were only achieved at the expense of unexpectedly high wear and tear, lengthening waiting times for repairs and forcing some airlines to ground aircraft.
CFM said it had now reached a "near zero" number of LEAP-powered planes being grounded due to maintenance delays.
Rival Pratt & Whitney, which competes with CFM to power A320neo jets, has reported steady improvement in disruption from maintenance delays and metal contamination issues.
CFM said its new update can be added during maintenance and will be included on the production line for new engines.
(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Aidan Lewis)
