GE Aerospace is rolling out its 360 Foam Wash jet engine cleaning system across its global maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) network, the company announced on May 22, 2026, broadening the deployment of a technology originally developed with Middle East customers.
A foam-based alternative to water wash
The system replaces conventional water wash with a proprietary foam injected into the engine gas path to remove dust and particulate buildup. According to GE Aerospace, the process lowers exhaust gas temperatures, improves compressor efficiency, and restores performance margins. When applied on-wing, it can also extend time on wing and reduce fuel burn.
New engines entering GE Aerospace or partner shops are now cleaned with foam wash prior to inspection. The company said the cleaner gas path produces better-quality borescope imagery, allowing shops to define overhaul workscopes more accurately and limit rework. Better workscoping feeds directly into shorter turnaround times, a chronic pain point for operators as engine shops struggle to absorb post-pandemic demand.
“Expanding 360 Foam Wash across our overhaul network is the next step in advancing engine durability and availability for customers,” said Nicole Jenkins, GE Aerospace’s Chief MRO Engineer.
Middle East origin, GE90, GEnx and CF34 coverage
The technology was developed jointly with operators in the Middle East, where heavy dust and sand exposure makes core fouling a persistent operational issue. Foam wash has been fully implemented for every GEnx engine in the region, including the fleets of carriers such as flydubai. It is also approved for the GE90 powering the Boeing 777 and the CF34 used on regional jets.
GE Aerospace said it has completed more than 6,500 washes on fielded engines since trials began in 2017, with over 10 airline customers holding technical licenses to perform the procedure themselves.
The rollout fits into a wider push to modernize the company’s services footprint. GE Aerospace announced in 2024 a more than $1 billion investment in its MRO operations over five years, and in 2025 opened the XEOS LEAP overhaul facility in Poland with Lufthansa Technik. Competing engine makers are pursuing similar durability gains, with Rolls-Royce marketing its Trent 1000 XE and Pratt & Whitney introducing its Hot Section Plus upgrade to extend on-wing intervals on the GTF.
