CFM International CFM56
2,382 US-registered aircraft fly this program — 4,782 installed engines across 51 registry codes
Program snapshot(US registry)
51 registry engine codes aggregated
256 aircraft flying the CFM56 left the US registry and stayed domestic since 2023 — a teardown proxy, not confirmed part-outs — at an average age of 24.3 years. 110 more were exported and left the US fleet intact.
FAA registry data, US-registered aircraft only. Deregs = domestic deregistrations — a teardown proxy that also captures re-registrations and some unflagged exports, never a confirmed part-out count. Median build year is a tails-weighted median of per-variant medians (≈). 738 of 2,382 active tails are registered under generic series codes rather than a specific variant, so per-variant splits are partial.
Registry codes under this program
FAA registry — as registered, variants + generic series rows
| Engine model | Active tails | Engine units | Median build yr | Deregs since ’23 | Exported | Avg age at dereg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CFM56 seriesgeneric code | 709 | 1,426 | 2001 | 174 | 13 | 25.4 yr |
| CFM56-7B27E | 326 | 652 | 2014 | 0 | 12 | 12.2 yr |
| CFM56-7B24 | 171 | 342 | 2006 | 27 | 2 | 22.7 yr |
| CFM56-7B24E | 152 | 304 | 2014 | 0 | 0 | — |
| CFM56-7B24/3 | 113 | 226 | 2010 | 3 | 0 | 16 yr |
| CFM56-7B27E/F | 111 | 222 | 2017 | 0 | 0 | — |
| CFM56-5B3/3 | 104 | 208 | 2019 | 0 | 1 | — |
| CFM56-5B4/3 | 82 | 164 | 2013 | 0 | 4 | 12.8 yr |
| CFM56-7B26 | 62 | 124 | 2006 | 2 | 19 | 20.4 yr |
| CFM56-7B26/3 | 55 | 110 | 2009 | 0 | 3 | 13 yr |
| CFM56-7B27 | 47 | 94 | 2008 | 0 | 1 | 18 yr |
| CFM56-7B26E | 47 | 94 | 2012 | 0 | 3 | 13 yr |
+ 39 more registry codes covering 403 active tails (each under 47 tails).
Counts reflect the engine model exactly as registered. Registry-wide, roughly 57% of engine records name a specific variant; the rest carry generic series codes, so generic rows coexist with variant rows and per-variant figures are partial. Deregs = domestic deregistrations (a teardown proxy, not confirmed part-outs); exported aircraft left the US fleet intact.
Airframe applications
FAA registry + BTS T-100 family rollups
| Family | Tails on this program | Family US fleet | Avg fleet age | Built 15+ yrs ago | Avg cycles / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 737 | 1,777 | 2,751 | 13.7 yr | 1,093 | 1,182 |
| A320 family | 592 | 2,029 | 13.3 yr | 727 | 1,012 |
“Tails on this program” counts US-registered aircraft the registry rollup maps to both the family and a CFM56 engine code — an undercount, since not every tail resolves to a family. Family fleet, age, and cycles columns describe the WHOLE family across every engine option, not just CFM56-powered aircraft (cycles from BTS T-100, 2025).
Airworthiness Directive activity
FAA / EASA public regulatory data
- FAA AD 2024-06-09effective Mar 25, 2024Prohibition
The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain CFM International, S.A. (CFM) Model CFM56-2, CFM56-3, CFM56-5, CFM56-5B, CFM56-5C, and CFM56-7B engines. This AD was prompted by a report of electrical arcing on certain life-limited critical parts. This AD requires replacing certain compressor discharge pressure (CDP) seals, high-pressure compressor (HPC) stage 3 disks, and high-pressure turbine (HPT) rear shafts. This AD also prohibits installation of certain CDP seals, HPC stage 3 disks, and HPT rear shafts on any engine, and prohibits installation of any engine with certain CDP seals, HPC stage 3 disks, and HPT rear shafts installed on any airplane. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
- FAA AD 2023-05-05effective May 10, 2023Mixed actions
The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2021-10-09 for certain CFM International, S.A. (CFM) CFM56-5B and CFM56-7B model turbofan engines with a certain high-pressure turbine (HPT) inner stationary seal installed. AD 2021-10-09 required removal, inspection, and replacement of the affected HPT inner stationary seal and, depending on the findings, replacement of the rotating air HPT front seal, HPT rotor blades, and No. 3 ball bearing. This AD was prompted by cracks found in the rotating air HPT front seal. After the FAA issued AD 2021-10-09, the manufacturer notified the FAA that the service information incorrectly lists the year of certain honeycomb repairs and that affected HPT inner stationary seals could potentially be installed on CFM CFM56-5C model turbofan engines. This AD requires removal, inspection, and replacement of the affected HPT inner stationary seal and, depending on the findings, replacement of the rotating air HPT front seal, HPT rotor blades, and No. 3 ball bearing. This AD also revises the applicability to add CFM CFM56-5C model turbofan engines. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
- FAA AD 2022-02-03effective Mar 22, 2022Mixed actions
The FAA is correcting an airworthiness directive (AD) that published in the Federal Register. The AD applies to CFM International, S.A. CFM56-3 and CFM56-7B model turbofan engines with certain accessory gearbox assembly (AGB) not equipped with a dynamic oil seal assembly in the handcranking pad. As published, the part numbers (P/Ns) listed in paragraph (i)(2)(i) are incorrect. This document corrects that error. In all other respects, the original document remains the same; however, for clarity, the FAA is publishing the entire rule in the Federal Register.
- FAA AD 2021-16-08effective Sep 28, 2021Prohibition
The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2019-12-05 for certain CFM International S.A. (CFM) CFM56-5B, CFM56-5C, and CFM56- 7B model turbofan engines with a certain rotating air high-pressure turbine (HPT) front seal. AD 2019-12-05 required replacement of the affected rotating air HPT front seal with a part eligible for installation. This AD was prompted by cracks found in the rotating air HPT front seal. This AD requires replacement of affected rotating air HPT front seals installed on CFM CFM56-5B, CFM56-5C, and CFM56-7B model turbofan engines that have fewer cycles since being reconfigured than the engines affected by AD 2019-12-05. This AD also requires CFM56-5B or CFM56-7B model turbofan engines with a reconfigured rotating air HPT front seal that was previously operated in a CFM56-5C model turbofan engine to follow the removal requirements for the CFM56-5C model turbofan engine. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.
Directives in the FAA / EASA corpus we have processed whose text names CFM56 engine models — not a complete historical AD list, and text matching can include airframe directives that reference the engine. An AD is a compliance requirement that drives scheduled work on a regulator's clock — a regulatory compliance signal, not a failure prediction, and no comment on this engine's reliability.