FAA issues AD to replace high‑pressure turbine seals on A380 GP7200 engines

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued an airworthiness directive on 8 October requiring replacement of potentially defective high‑pressure turbine seals in Engine Alliance GP7200 engines on Airbus A380 aircraft.

The directive covers 15 seal parts on GP7270, GP7272 and GP7277 engines, with replacements required within 50 flight cycles or 30 days for the most critical cases and within 150 cycles or 90 days for other parts; it becomes effective on 23 October 2026 and only components meeting the Engine Alliance service bulletin dated 4 September 2026 may be used, at an estimated cost of $528,150 per seal ($527,300 for the part and $850 for labor). The FAA notes that engines with the potentially defective seals are not installed on aircraft registered in the United States.