GE Aerospace (NYSE:GE) has found a way to use artificial intelligence to speed up one of engine maintenance’s less visible steps: collecting technical records. The tool cut processing time by about 25%, but the bigger investor story may be what GE says is happening across its repair network: turnaround times are falling and engine availability is improving.
AI Targets a Maintenance Bottleneck
During GE Aerospace’s third-quarter earnings call, CEO Larry Culp said the company developed an AI-enabled tool at Celma, its largest maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) site, to automate the collection of technical records required for each CFM56 engine shop visit.
“This helped decrease record processing time by around 25%,” Culp said.
The distinction matters. GE has not said the AI tool makes a complete engine repair 25% faster. It speeds up the processing of records needed during a shop visit — a specific administrative step within a much larger maintenance process.
Still, removing friction from that workflow could help maintenance teams move through the broader repair process more efficiently. The company did not disclose how much of its overall turnaround-time improvement came directly from the AI tool.
The Bigger Gain Is Turnaround Time
Culp said the tool was part of broader operational improvements across GE’s network that produced another quarter of record internal shop-visit output.
“Turnaround time down by over a week since the end of 2025, including LEAP now down two weeks,” he said.
That is a more consequential measure for airlines. Engines spending less time in maintenance can help airlines return aircraft to service sooner, although the actual impact depends on factors beyond repair processing, including parts availability, the scope of work and shop capacity.
Culp also said that progress, combined with other efforts, had reduced the number of aircraft grounded because of LEAP engine issues to “nearly zero since the summer.”
That improvement comes as GE works to support a growing installed base. The company said the LEAP installed base is expected to more than double between 2025 and 2030, increasing the importance of maintenance capacity as more engines enter service.
Services Growth Is the Investor Hook
GE’s operational gains are matched by a substantial services business. Culp said commercial services orders rose 23% in the third quarter and 30% year to date, while the company’s commercial services backlog exceeded $170 billion. GE also expects low-double-digit services growth in 2027.
For investors, the AI tool is best viewed as one piece of a larger productivity effort, rather than a standalone revenue catalyst. Faster processing of technical records may help remove a bottleneck, but GE has not quantified the tool’s financial contribution.
The bigger test is whether the company can sustain shorter turnaround times, increase shop output and keep pace with a growing fleet. If those improvements help GE convert its large services backlog into revenue while meeting airline needs, the payoff could extend well beyond the 25% saved on records.
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