Engine overhaul
Also: shop visit, engine shop visit, engine refurbishment
A visit by an engine to the workshop, after thousands of hours on the wing, to strip it down, inspect it, replace parts and restore its performance.
What it is
Modern turbofans can stay on the wing for years and many thousands of hours, but eventually they need a shop visit. There are three usual triggers: wear erodes the exhaust gas temperature margin, a life-limited part approaches its cycle limit, or the engine has been damaged, for instance by ingesting debris or a bird.
In the shop the engine is split into modules, from the fan and compressors to the combustor and turbines. Each part is inspected, damaged or time-expired items are repaired or replaced, and the reassembled engine is run in a test cell before returning to service. For a large engine, a full visit can cost several million dollars.
The aircraft itself need not be grounded meanwhile, as a spare engine, owned or leased, is fitted in its place. Engine makers such as CFM International, Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney are among the major players in this business.
On Vuelopedia
Related terms
Cite
To cite this page in academic work, an article or Wikipedia, choose the style and copy the reference. The access date is today.
This page was last updated on October 9, 2026
APA
Vuelopedia. (2026, October 9). Engine overhaul. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/engine-overhaul
MLA
“Engine overhaul.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 9 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/engine-overhaul. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.
Chicago
Vuelopedia. “Engine overhaul.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 9, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/engine-overhaul.
Harvard
Vuelopedia (2026) Engine overhaul. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/engine-overhaul (Accessed: 17 October 2026).
BibTeX
@misc{vuelopedia_en_glossary_engine_overhaul,
author = {{Vuelopedia}},
title = {{Engine overhaul}},
publisher = {Fundación Poderia},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-09},
url = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/engine-overhaul},
howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/engine-overhaul}},
urldate = {2026-10-17},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17}
}Wikipedia
{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/engine-overhaul |title=Engine overhaul |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-09 |access-date=2026-10-17 |language=en}}