Регуляторы обязали операторы двигателей IAE V2500 заменить лопатки компрессора с новым покрытием

This article is published in Aviation Week MRO part of Aviation Week Intelligence Network (AWIN), and is complimentary through Aug 31, 2026. For information on becoming an AWIN Member to access more content like this, click here. Regulators have ordered International Aero Engines (IAE) V2500 operators to replace third-stage high-pressure compressor (HPC) rotor blades during routine shop visits with parts that have new coatings to address persistent durability issues blamed for dozens of in-service incidents. An Aug. 20 FAA airworthiness directive orders the changes at the next shop visit where the HPC blades are exposed. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) adopted the FAA’s directive immediately. Operators have the option of swapping in new 31-blade sets or installing modified blades with mid-span shrouds, or clappers, that have the new coating. “The FAA predicts most operators will choose ... reworked blades, which is the most cost-effective option,” the agency said. The agency’s estimated cost for new blades is $225,000, while reworked blade sets will run about $30,000. The directive is based on a 2024 IAE service bulletin recommending blades with the new coatings. While the November 2025 draft rule does not reference the service bulletin, the FAA notes in the final rule that complying with it satisfies the directive’s requirement. “The FAA action is consistent with IAE’s 2024 service bulletin,” Pratt & Whitney said in a statement. “Replacement of HPC third-stage blades is occurring during normal shop visits.” Pratt, part of the original IAE consortium, leads V2500 aftermarket support. The modified clapper is the latest step to improve durability and vibration resistance that have been issues for years. The new clapper coating is applied using a high-velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) process. Pratt determined an HVOF coating layer, or microstructure, would provide more durability than detonation gun (D-gun) coating layers used in the past, an Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India report on one incident explained. When a clapper-equipped engine runs at high power, the shrouds on adjacent blades touch, helping minimize vibration and keep the blades from flexing. In 2005, IAE identified wear as an in-service issue and developed blades with thicker clappers. IAE recommended operators install the new blades in a 2005 service bulletin. In 2008, IAE rolled out the V2500 SelectOne HPC upgrade that included blade improvements. But the in-service problems persisted. Operators reported more than 50 third-stage HPC blade "fracture events" linked to high-cycle fatigue from 2014 through 2024, the AAIB report said. Some, like the 2022 Indigo Airbus A320 rejected takeoff incident that was the subject of the AAIB report, led to engine failures. Pratt determined the coating change would minimize the failure risk. The manufacturer says it has capacity “in place” to support demand with “new or modified” blades. Operators and MRO shops will likely have other options. Chromalloy is developing a modification that would comply with the 2024 service bulletin that includes removing the D-gun coating and applying an HVOF coating, the company tells Aviation Week. The company has provided repairs on the D-gun-coated blades for years. Aviation Week Fleet Discovery shows the global civil V2500 fleet numbers about 5,340 engines. About half of them have not undergone their second shop visit, suggesting demand for new or reconditioned HVOF-coated blades will be several thousand ship sets.