The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a new airworthiness directive requiring operators of certain International Aero Engines V2500 engines to replace third-stage high-pressure compressor rotor blades. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) subsequently adopted the directive for European operators.
The measure follows a series of blade fractures that resulted in engine fires, aborted takeoffs, in-flight shutdowns and unplanned engine removals. According to the FAA, continued operation with the affected components could lead to an engine fire, reduced aircraft controllability or an in-flight engine shutdown.
FAA Airworthiness Directive 2026-17-03 takes effect on September 24, 2026. The replacement will not have to be carried out immediately and does not require the affected fleet to be grounded. The complete blade set must be replaced during the next engine shop visit at which the third-stage high-pressure compressor rotor is exposed and its blades become accessible.
The directive covers V2522-A5, V2524-A5, V2525-D5, V2527-A5, V2527E-A5, V2527M-A5, V2528-D5, V2530-A5, V2531-E5 and V2533-A5 engines fitted with blades carrying part numbers 6A8353 or 6A8688. These engine variants are used on Airbus A320ceo family aircraft, the McDonnell Douglas MD-90 and the Embraer C-390 Millennium military transport aircraft. EASA states that the US directive is considered automatically adopted in Europe.
Operators may install a completely new set of 31 blades or have the existing blades reworked, with a more durable coating applied to their mid-span supports. The FAA expects most operators to choose the reworked option, as a set of modified blades is estimated to cost approximately $30,000. If the blades are no longer suitable for reworking, a new set is estimated to cost around $225,000.
The problem is associated with wear of the supports known as mid-span shrouds or clappers. When an engine operates at higher power settings, the supports on adjacent blades come into contact, limiting blade flexing and damping vibrations. As the contact surfaces wear, the supports can become misaligned, leaving the blades more susceptible to vibration and high-cycle fatigue. This can cause a crack to develop and ultimately result in part of a blade separating, damaging other compressor components.
The new coating is applied using a high-velocity oxygen fuel process, commonly known as HVOF. A mixture of fuel and oxygen is burned under high pressure, while particles of coating material are sprayed onto the surface at high velocity. The process creates a denser and more durable coating than the detonation gun, or D-gun, method previously used. According to information provided by Pratt & Whitney to investigators, the HVOF coating should significantly reduce wear on the contact surfaces.
IAE first identified the wear problem in 2005 and subsequently introduced blades with larger and stronger clappers. Further high-pressure compressor improvements followed in 2008 with the V2500 SelectOne package, but blade fractures were not completely eliminated.
According to data from the final report issued by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau and cited by Aviation Week, more than 50 third-stage compressor blade fracture events associated with high-cycle fatigue were recorded between 2014 and 2024. One of the more serious incidents occurred on October 28, 2022, involving an IndiGo Airbus A320 registered VT-IFM.
During the takeoff roll from Delhi, the crew heard a loud bang and felt the aircraft yaw, prompting them to reject the takeoff. A fire was observed in the right-hand V2527-A5 engine, while a subsequent inspection revealed extensive damage to the high-pressure compressor blades. No injuries were reported. Investigators identified severe wear of the third-stage blade clappers, improper contact between them and vibrations that ultimately caused a fatigue fracture. Basic information about the incident was also published by the French air safety investigation authority BEA.
The mandatory replacement is based on IAE Service Bulletin V2500-ENG-72-0716, issued in October 2024. Pratt & Whitney, which leads aftermarket support for the V2500 programme, said replacements were already being carried out during scheduled engine shop visits and that sufficient capacity was available to supply new and modified blades.
During the consultation process, Lufthansa Technik warned of a possible shortage of eligible parts and proposed allowing repetitive inspections as an interim alternative. The FAA rejected the proposal, stating that no inspection method currently exists that could sufficiently mitigate the risk. The manufacturer also assured the regulator that production of new blades had been increased and that no shortage was expected.
The FAA estimates that the directive affects 1,462 engines installed on US-registered aircraft. The cost of fitting reworked blade sets across the US fleet is estimated at approximately $44 million. According to Aviation Week Fleet Discovery data, the worldwide civil V2500 fleet currently comprises around 5,340 engines, approximately half of which have yet to undergo their second shop visit. Demand for new or reworked blade sets could therefore reach several thousand units over the coming years.
Alongside the manufacturer’s solution, Chromalloy is developing its own modification process that would remove the existing D-gun coating and apply a new HVOF coating. Subject to regulatory approval, the solution could provide operators and maintenance organisations with an additional option at a time when V2500 engine maintenance and spare-parts availability remain important considerations for numerous airlines.
The V2500 entered commercial service in 1989 with Slovenian carrier Adria Airways. According to IAE, more than 7,000 engines have been produced during the programme, making the V2500 one of the two principal powerplant options for the first generation of the Airbus A320 family. Although production of passenger A320ceo aircraft has ended, the large active fleet and continued production of the V2500-E5 variant for the C-390 ensure that the programme will remain an important part of the aircraft engine maintenance market for decades to come.