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Engines · GE Aerospace

CF6

CF6-80C2, CF6-80E1

out of production for commercial airframes, in service 2 min read · updated 11 October 2026 · checked 11 October 2026

Turbofan model under test
An ultra high bypass ratio turbofan model in a NASA wind tunnel. Credit NASA.

At a glance

Engine card

VariantsCF6-80C2, CF6-80E1
ArchitectureTwo shaft turbofan, bypass ratio around 5:1
Thrust52,500 to 72,000 lbf
Applications767, 747-400, A330ceo, MD-11, KC-46A
Built byGE Aerospace
StatusOut of production for most commercial airframes, in service

Program and production

The CF6 is one of the longest serving engines in commercial aviation, and the CF6-80C2 has now passed forty years in service. It is not a glamorous engine and it is not going away.

Cargo is the reason. The continued growth of the freight market has sustained CF6-80C2 operation, and the engine powers a large part of the medium widebody freighter fleet at FedEx, UPS and the integrators.

The production picture is split. Boeing ends commercial 767 production in 2027 after clearing its remaining backlog of 29 freighters, then builds 767-2C airframes solely as the basis for the KC-46A tanker. So CF6 related airframe production continues for military delivery while the commercial line closes.

That closure removes a new build option in a size class where the alternatives are converting used passenger airframes or stepping up to something larger and more expensive. The practical effect is that existing CF6 powered freighters get flown longer.

Technical and maintenance

A mature engine with a mature support network, now contracting.

In plain terms

When an engine leaves production, its support shifts from the manufacturer to a smaller group of specialist shops who keep the tooling, the approvals and the experienced people. Those shops become the constraint, because there are fewer of them each year.

MTU Maintenance provides CF6-80C2 overhaul, and CTS Engines specialises in test, repair and overhaul of the type. Finding material to support shop visits on out of production engines continues to be the central difficulty, with used serviceable material and approved repairs carrying the load.

On the line

Expect longer lead times on major rotables than the quoted figures suggest, and plan removals rather than waiting for them to be forced. On converted freighters, pay attention to how conversion era modifications interact with engine and nacelle access, because a repair installed during conversion can complicate a later task. Records quality on twice converted airframes is often the real obstacle, so budget time for the paperwork as well as the work.

Applications and fleet

On the 767 the CF6-80C2 competes with the Pratt and Whitney PW4000. It also powers 747-400s, MD-11s and, as the CF6-80E1, A330ceos.

The military side matters for longevity. KC-46A production continuing past 2027 means a parts flow and an engineering interest that a purely commercial out of production engine would not have.

Safety

No significant developments since 11 October 2026.

No Airworthiness Directive of fleet wide significance was issued against the family in this period.

Sources