New York, Feb 17, 2026, 15:53 EST — Regular session
- GE Aerospace climbed over 3% in afternoon trade.
- United Airlines is buying 300 GEnx engines for its incoming fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners, along with some spare units.
- Attention shifts to when deliveries hit, along with GE Aerospace’s upcoming earnings release.
GE Aerospace climbed 3.3% to $325.88 Tuesday afternoon, following news of a new widebody engine agreement linked to United Airlines’ Boeing 787 order. During the session, shares traded between $314.33 and $330.40.
The point: engine orders aren’t only about selling a unit. Each order usually brings in a multi-year stream of maintenance and spare-parts revenue — that lucrative “aftermarket” business investors typically see as both steadier and more profitable than shipping new engines.
This comes as airlines continue to secure long-haul capacity. For GE Aerospace, the implications are clear: more engines flying, an uptick in shop visits, and rising parts demand ahead.
GE Aerospace announced Monday that United Airlines has committed to 300 GEnx engines for its new Boeing 787 Dreamliners, plus spare engines—pushing United’s fleet of GEnx-powered 787s past 200. Mohamed Ali, who heads GE Aerospace Commercial Engines & Services, called United’s order a move that will make the carrier “the largest GEnx operator in the world.” According to GE, the GEnx has surpassed 70 million flight hours and now powers roughly two-thirds of all 787s flying today. The company also pointed to a 99.98% dispatch rate, highlighting engine reliability. GE Aerospace
United Airlines popped 4.7%, with Boeing inching up around 0.3% in afternoon action. RTX added 1.7%. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF ticked higher, notching a roughly 0.1% gain.
That first jet engine sale is just the opener. Airlines shell out for maintenance—overhauls, replacement parts, repairs—across years of operation. “Time on wing” refers to how many hours an engine clocks before it needs a big shop visit.
Aircraft delivery schedules aren’t far from traders’ minds—engine shipments depend on those jets. If deliveries slip, revenue recognition gets pushed back, along with the uptick in service demand that arrives when engines rack up hours in the air.
Large orders often linger in backlogs for years. Airlines have the option to push back deliveries when travel demand dips or credit conditions worsen. And even with strong demand, output in the near term can run into limits from supply-chain snags or repair bottlenecks.
GE Aerospace plans to report its first-quarter numbers on April 21. Investors are expected to zero in on any news around deliveries, services growth, and cash flow.
