UKEF and GE Aerospace introduce finance solution for regional UK shop visits

GE Aerospace and UK Export Finance (UKEF) have established a new framework for shop visit financing for airline customers, leveraging GE Aerospace’s Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) sites in Wales and Scotland.

This new programme will enable airlines to access financing for their engine maintenance spend, with UKEF supporting $1 billion in financing over the next five years, supporting airlines with quicker decision-making and greater predictability.

Rahul Ghai, Chief Financial Officer of GE Aerospace, said: “This new programme provides airlines with a faster, more reliable way to manage investments in engine overhauls. We’re pleased to partner with UKEF on a solution that supports our customers by keeping their fleets flying and strengthens our UK operations.”

Currently, there is no established banking solution for engine overhauls, and ad hoc financings to date have been complex and time-consuming. By partnering together, GE Aerospace and UKEF have created a financing framework that provides several benefits to airline customers.

A faster route to engine overhaul finance

The streamlined process enables quicker decision-making, eliminating the prolonged process that airlines experience with ad hoc financing options that involve multiple institutions assessing theoretical workscopes on an individual engine basis. It also provides airlines with clarity on the amount of financing available for overhauls performed at GE Aerospace’s Wales and Scotland sites.

This partnership is designed to bolster UKEF’s support for businesses driving local growth across all regions of the UK.

With predictable, multi-year financing approved upfront, airlines can better align the timing of engine overhauls with their operational needs.

UKEF CEO, Tim Reid, said: “This landmark framework shows how UKEF can work in partnership with industry leaders such as GE Aerospace to unlock practical solutions for global customers.

“We are backing GE Aerospace’s world-class sites in Wales and Scotland, strengthening the UK’s position in the global aerospace supply chain, while also supporting substantial economic growth and job creation on a local level.”

Across GE Aerospace’s Wales and Scotland MRO sites, more than 2,000 employees service CFM56, GE90 and GEnx engines. GE Aerospace continues to invest in operations across the region.

In 2025, GE Aerospace announced a $19 million investment for its Wales site over three years to enhance infrastructure and ensure it remains a leader in supporting global commercial fleets.