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Safran LEAP Engine Deliveries Rise 26% to 1,565 in First Nine Months of 2026

By Ganesh KolekarPublished

Summary

  • 1,565 LEAP engines were delivered in the first nine months of 2026, up 26% on the same period of 2025, Safran said
  • Third-quarter deliveries were 535, up 5%; the LEAP powers the Airbus A320neo family and every Boeing 737 MAX
  • Safran confirmed it expects LEAP deliveries to grow by a high-teens percentage for the full year

PARIS, France, 23 October 2026 – French engine maker Safran said 1,565 LEAP engines were delivered in the first nine months of 2026, up 26% from 1,240 a year earlier, as it reported third-quarter revenue of €9.0 billion, up 14.7%.

The LEAP is built by CFM International, Safran’s 50-50 joint venture with GE Aerospace. It is the only engine on the Boeing 737 MAX and one of two engine options on the Airbus A320neo family, so its output has a direct bearing on how many new narrowbody jets airlines can receive.

The numbers

In the July-September quarter, 535 LEAP engines were delivered, 5% more than a year earlier. Deliveries of the older CFM56, which powers earlier 737 generations and many A320ceo-family jets, fell to 12 in the quarter from 15. Safran’s adjusted revenue for the first nine months reached €26.6 billion, up 17.5%.

By business, propulsion revenue rose 14.4% to €4.63 billion in the quarter and equipment and defence revenue rose 20.6% to €3.62 billion. Aircraft interiors, which includes the cabin seats many passengers sit in, fell 6.4% to €751 million, although Safran said it delivered 635 business class seats in the quarter, up 48%.

Safran confirmed its full-year outlook: revenue growth in the mid-teens, recurring operating income of €6.4-6.5 billion and LEAP deliveries up by a high-teens percentage over 2025.

FlyingFuel bar chart of LEAP engine deliveries: 1,240 in January to September 2025, 1,565 in January to September 2026, and 535 in the third quarter of 2026
Deliveries are well ahead of last year, but third-quarter growth was a more modest 5%. Graphic: FlyingFuel. Data: Safran.

What Safran says about supply

Chief executive Olivier Andriès said in the release: “We are making solid progress on the LEAP ramp-up, supported by improving supply chain conditions.” Safran still lists supply chain capacity and the possible impact of the Middle East conflict among the risks to its outlook.

In an interview published on 25 October, FlightGlobal reported that Andriès is confident the LEAP production ramp-up will meet Safran’s delivery commitments to Airbus and Boeing.

A CFM LEAP-1A engine with a red and white Scandinavian cowling under the wing of an SAS Airbus A320neo at Stockholm Arlanda
A LEAP-1A26 engine on an SAS Airbus A320neo at Stockholm Arlanda. The LEAP-1A is one of two engine choices for the A320neo family. Photo: Bene Riobó, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Spare parts growth slows

Sales of spare parts for civil engines, measured in US dollars, rose 17% in the third quarter, down from 29.3% in the first quarter and 26.7% in the second, Safran’s figures show. Investing.com reported that the slowdown was weaker than analysts at Jefferies had expected and that Safran shares fell to a five-month low on the day.

Andriès said spare parts sales continue to be driven by sustained spending on maintenance by airlines.

Why it matters for travellers

More engines mean more new A320neo-family and 737 MAX jets reaching airlines in the US, UK, Europe and Australia, where both types fly in large numbers. The newly certified Boeing 737 MAX 10 also uses the LEAP-1B. Our A320neo vs 737 MAX 8 comparison explains how the two jets that depend on this engine differ for passengers.

Read more

Sources: Safran third-quarter 2026 revenue release, 23 October 2026; FlightGlobal, 25 October 2026; Investing.com via Yahoo Finance, 23 October 2026.

Featured image: FlyingFuel graphic using a photo of a CFM LEAP-1B engine on a Boeing 737-8 at Alghero Airport, Sardinia by Thyrome, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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