GE Aerospace to invest $1 billion in US manufacturing
GE Aerospace has announced plans to invest a further $1 billion in its US manufacturing sites and supplier base during 2026. The investment is intended to accelerate engine deliveries, increase production of parts that safely extend time between maintenance shop visits and strengthen defence production to keep pace with military demand.
The investment expands capacity at sites producing and assembling commercial and defence engines. This includes $115 million in Cincinnati, Ohio, home to GE Aerospace’s headquarters, to modernise infrastructure, increase test cell capacity, and expand advanced metal Additive Manufacturing capabilities.
More than $275 million of the $1 billion will reportedly be used to upgrade sites producing defence engines and components, helping to strengthen the US defence industrial base. Highlights include $40+ million for Lynn, Massachusetts, to refresh machinery, expand test cell capacity and flexibility to meet delivery pace, and make building upgrades. A further $10 million is allocated for Madisonville, Kentucky, to invest in new machines to increase part production, inspection equipment, tooling, and facility upgrades.
The company is expanding commercial engine production capacity, particularly the CFM LEAP engine that powers the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320 aircraft families. These investments will increase part production for maintenance sites, helping reduce turnaround times. Highlights include $200 million to expand manufacturing capacity for LEAP high-pressure turbine durability kits, which will improve time-on-wing for customers by more than double in hot, harsh conditions, the company states. The investment also supports production of the reverse bleed system, which reduces the need for on-wing maintenance.
Some $20 million is set aside for Durham, North Carolina, for specialised tooling, engine line assembly systems, and building upgrades to support the increased assembly of narrowbody and widebody engines. There is also $7 million for Lafayette, Indiana, for new tools, equipment, and facility upgrades that support engine assembly and increase capacity to meet 2026 narrowbody engine deliveries.
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Investing in the workforce and supply chain
The 2026 funding, the company’s second consecutive $1 billion US investment, is intended to benefit sites across more than thirty communities in seventeen states. GE Aerospace also plans to hire 5,000 US workers, including both manufacturing and engineering roles, in addition to the 5,000 people it hired last year.
GE Aerospace is investing more than $100 million, as part of the $1 billion, in its external supplier base. These funds will provide tooling and equipment to help stabilise production schedules, which is critical to meeting delivery commitments. Deploying these investments alongside FLIGHT DECK, the company’s proprietary lean operating model, has reportedly helped improve material input from priority suppliers by more than 40% last year, compared to the previous year. This, in turn, drove commercial engine deliveries up 25% and defence engine deliveries up 30% in 2025 compared to the previous year.
Since 2024, GE Aerospace has announced plans to invest more than $2.5 billion across its US manufacturing sites and supplier base, including approximately $600 million in sites producing defence engines over the last three years. This manufacturing investment is in addition to the nearly $3 billion GE Aerospace invests annually in research and development.
