As peak flying season begins, many organizations are reducing the frequency of non-essential scheduled maintenance, resulting in lighter demand for engine stands than in months when aircraft availability wasn’t as critical of a need.

Informed by reports from EngineStands.com and an interview with Key Account Executive Ana Aleksejeva, this article outlines engine stand utilization trends from May 2026.

Which engine families required the most stand usage?

According to reports from EngineStands.com, “Total stand utilization for May 2026 softened compared with heavier maintenance periods, but the data still shows clear pressure points across specific engine families.”

The reports outline the engine platforms operating at or near full capacity for the month, including:

• CFM56-5A/B was the most consistently utilized stand category in May, with very limited availability across the month. The pattern reflects continued A320ceo reliance as delayed new-aircraft deliveries keep mature narrowbody engines in active shop-visit cycles.
• PW1100G (GTF) was the strongest new-generation platform in May, running close to saturation. With mandatory powder-metal inspections still progressing through the global fleet and full performance restoration slots booked deep into the year, driving demand for GTF stands.
• PW4000-94 was the heaviest-utilized widebody engine stand in May, with capacity fully used.

Which engine stands show growing demand from May 2026?

In terms of stands with lower usage but growing demand, EngineStands.com reports note, “LEAP-1A had roughly half of available stands at full occupancy, with the remainder available and ready to absorb urgent requests.”

The reports continue, “LEAP demand is not yet as uniformly saturated as some mature narrowbody platforms, but it is entering a structural growth phase. CFM expects LEAP shop-visit activity to grow significantly toward the end of the decade, and the industry is already expanding support capacity.”

Adding another example, EngineStands.com experts state, “V2500 remained active as A320ceo-family aircraft continue filling capacity gaps while new deliveries and new-generation engine availability remain constrained.”

The reports highlighted impacts from Spirit’s restructuring to this mode, as Airbus aircraft and engine experience higher volumes of:

• Lease returns
• Inspections
• Storage
• Remarketing
• Shop-visit preparation

For CFM56-7B activity in May 2026, demand was concentrated and remained strong in specific areas due to being used commonly in the Boeing 737NG fleet.

The reports also note, “PW1500 activity was limited because the installed base is much smaller than PW1100G on the A320neo family. It is still strategically relevant, but the pattern is selective A220 support rather than high-volume GTF stand demand.”

Hanna Lavinskaja of EngineStands.com says, “Lease-duration patterns also differ by platform generation.”

She explains, “New-generation (neo) engines are more commonly placed on long-term leases due to lengthy maintenance events and constrained shop capacity, while legacy engines support a broader mix of requirements, ranging from short-term AOG engine swaps to several-month bridging leases.

Which trends impacted engine stand utilization most in May 2026?

EngineStands.com Key Account Executive Ana Aleksejeva shares, “As airlines entered peak flying season, scheduled maintenance naturally slowed because operators prioritized aircraft availability, shifting our focus on AOG support.”

She continues, “Secondly, May’s utilization pattern reflects a trend continuously visible across the wider aviation market—mature narrowbody engines remain highly relevant because airlines continue operating older aircraft for longer, while new aircraft deliveries remain constrained.”

“The conflict is still affecting engine stand utilization, but the biggest impact is no longer just disruption, it is cost pressure. We have a warehouse in the region, so we have seen these dynamics firsthand, not just in reported data,” says Aleksejeva.

She elaborates, “Aviation is operating in a crisis environment where every expense is being reviewed…operators are evaluating every maintenance-related cost before committing to a movement, shop visit or stand booking.”

Aleksejeva lists some of these expenses, such as:

• Fuel prices
• Rerouting
• Insurance
• Freight
• Storage
• Spare-engine leasing

Aleksejeva stresses, “The sharpest pressure is logistics. When cargo capacity falls and fuel-linked freight costs rise, engine movement can become a much more expensive decision.”

She quotes, “IATA reported that Middle East disruption drove a 4.8% fall in March global air cargo demand.”

Pointing to IATA’s April cargo analysis, Aleksejeva identifies trends in Middle East international air cargo as being:

• Traffic down 18.2%
• Jet fuel up 121.1% year-on-year
• Cargo yields up 32.2%

Aleksejeva adds, “Air Cargo Week also reported that Middle East airspace closures reduced global air cargo capacity by 18%, with 13% of worldwide lift directly affected.”

“In this environment, even if an operator has a maintenance requirement, the timing can shift because transporting the engine, securing a certified stand, and moving the required parts may cost significantly more than expected,” she explains.

How can MROs prepare for projected shifts in engine stand utilization for the summer of 2026?

“The best-prepared MROs will treat engine stand access as part of AOG readiness, not as a last-minute procurement task,” says Aleksejeva.

She continues, “They already have suppliers pre-approved, key contacts immediately available and response processes established before the event occurs.”

Aleksejeva adds, “As aviation enters its high-utilization season, the MRO industry enters its low planned-maintenance season. Scheduled shop visits drop off sharply. Airlines pull every available aircraft into revenue service and defer anything that can wait until autumn.”

She notes, “What remains on the MRO side is almost entirely AOG-driven, such as unplanned removals, urgent engine swaps, situations where an aircraft on the ground is costing an operator money by the hour.”

Aleksejeva lists the ways that planning ahead for the peak travel season benefits MROs by:

• Reducing idle time
• Protecting aircraft availability
• Preventing technical events from disrupting operations more than necessary

Aleksejeva advises, “Summer 2026 will push global aviation infrastructure close to operational limits. IATA’s traffic figures show passenger demand continuing to rise, global traffic up 5.3% year-on-year, while load factors remain at historically high levels.”

She emphasizes, “During peak season, operators cannot afford to lose time figuring out who can supply an engine stand, arrange transport or support an urgent engine movement.”