Chromalloy and Lufthansa Technik Secure FAA PMA Approval for V2500 HPT Stage 1 Blade After $100M Investment
Why It MattersThe approval expands independently certified aftermarket parts competition for V2500 engine maintenance, giving operators alternative sourcing options beyond OEM channels.
Chromalloy has secured FAA Parts Manufacturer Approval for a new High Pressure Turbine Stage 1 blade for the V2500 Select engine, the fifth V2500 PMA approval delivered through its development agreement with Lufthansa Technik. The company invested over $100 million in the blade's design, development, and certification, along with new smelting, casting, machining, and coating capabilities at its Tampa, Florida area facilities, and had to establish new anti-corrosion processes and multi-layer thermal barrier coating systems for the component.
The approval was granted under the Test & Computation method under 14 CFR § 21.303, which requires independent engineering, materials qualification, structural and thermal analysis, and engine-level validation rather than dimensional copying. Chromalloy is ramping production through the remainder of 2026 and into 2027, with first shipments expected soon to launch customer Lufthansa Technik, and its HPT blade product line spans facilities in Palm Beach Gardens, Tampa, and Oldsmar, Florida. Additional content for midlife engines is expected to enter FAA review later this year.
Chromalloy CEO Chris Celtruda said the fifth approval "reflects significant engineering investment and the strength of our relationship with Lufthansa Technik," while Sebastian Hagenmueller, Head of Product V2500 Overhaul at Lufthansa Technik, called it "another important milestone in our successful collaboration with Chromalloy, with direct benefits for our customers." Chromalloy has operated for 75 years and holds FAA approval on over 60 gas path PMA parts that have accumulated more than six billion part flight hours, while Lufthansa Technik employs around 23,000 people across dozens of locations worldwide.
