A China-based researcher claims certain GE Aerospace engines on Boeing 787 Dreamliners develop premature cracks in high-pressure turbine blades within about 1,000 flight cycles, raising repair costs and operational strain.
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A newly published study by a China-based researcher has claimed that certain General Electric engines on Boeing 787 Dreamliners are developing premature cracks in their high-pressure turbine blades. The study says these cracks can appear after as few as 1,000 flight cycles and do not make planes immediately unsafe, but increase repair costs and strain airline operations.
Writing in the September issue of the Chinese aviation journal Aviation Maintenance & Engineering, Xia Xiaofeng, an engineer with Xiamen Airlines, detailed how first-stage high-pressure turbine blades in GE's Phase 2 and Phase 2+ engine configurations develop premature thermal fatigue. These blades often develop radial cracks between cooling holes within 1,000 flight cycles, and over time these cracks can expand and connect, eventually causing metal fragments to break away inside the engine.
According to the study, one airline experienced five engine removals tied specifically to these high-pressure turbine blade defects. In one detailed case, a Chinese airline discovered missing blade material during a routine borescope inspection after 1,818 flight cycles, and while standard guidelines called for engine removal within 10 flights, the airline safely operated the engine for 12 additional cycles before securing a replacement. GE updated its maintenance guidelines to allow regular inspections every 100 to 250 cycles instead of requiring immediate engine removal for minor material loss.
The study also described thermal barrier coating decay that exposes metal to oxidation and blade-root platform cracks that forced three global engine removals. As of August 2025, about 417 GEnx engines, or 15% of the global fleet, were operating with Phase 2 or Phase 2+ blades, and data reveals wide performance variations with maximum on-wing times reaching up to 4,729 flight cycles.
GE analyzed recent engine defects on the Boeing 787 and determined that thermal fatigue, driven by stress concentrations near cooling holes, is causing low-cycle blade deterioration. To mitigate risks, the study recommends shorter inspection intervals for blades exceeding 2,000 flight cycles, along with real-time monitoring of engine vibration and exhaust gas temperatures.
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