Flag Carrier CTO Highlights Engine Supply Chain Complexities – Peak Maintenance Demand Expected in 2026

European Airline CTO Warns of Engine Supply Failures as Industry Risk Cascades

United Kingdom – British Airways’ Chief Technical Officer Andy Best delivered a sharp critique of engine OEMs and aftermarket support during his keynote address at MRO Europe 2025, calling out widespread engine delivery delays and diminishing confidence in the maintenance ecosystem. His remarks come amid escalating pressure on global MRO infrastructure and serve as a call to action for sector-wide collaboration.

• Speaking at the opening session of MRO Europe 2025 at London’s Ex CeL Centre, Best disclosed that “not one engine had been delivered on time in 2025 by its main engine providers.”
• He stressed that these persistent delays are no longer isolated incidents, but systematic failures that “pass risk into our operation” and threaten the reliability commitments made to passengers.
• Confidence in the aftermarket has also eroded, with Best noting that “our confidence with the aftermarket in the service provision is not great,” adding bluntly, “We are not happy.”
• Rather than placing blame, Best positioned his remarks as a “call for everyone, including British Airways, to work together to improve the situation.”
• He invited stakeholders across the value chain—engine manufacturers, MRO providers, and airline engineering divisions—to collaborate on meaningful, system-wide transformation.
• British Airways' public critique reflects broader industry challenges. A projected peak in global engine maintenance demand in 2026, as forecasted by Bain & Company, will further stretch an already strained system.
• Airlines, including BA, are increasingly investing in predictive maintenance tools and diversifying MRO capacity. In August 2025, British Airways acquired Boeing’s Gatwick MRO hangar, bringing critical heavy maintenance operations under its direct control.
• Industry-wide, turnaround times (TATs) for new-generation engines remain extended, and parts shortages continue to slow overhauls. Operators are rethinking fleet utilization strategies and seeking more resilient MRO partnerships.

Source: British Airways