GE qualifies NYCO's Turbonycoil 600 for GEnx-1B after Air France trials

GE Aerospace has qualified NYCO's Turbonycoil 600 synthetic turbine oil for the GEnx-1B, the engine that powers roughly two-thirds of the Boeing 787s in service. The French lubricant maker announced the approval on October 26, 2026, capping an in-flight evaluation with Air France that ran for more than three years.

The market the approval unlocks is large and still growing. In July 2026, GE Aerospace said the GEnx-1B had passed 50 million flight hours with more than 50 operators. A February 2026 agreement is set to make United Airlines the world's largest GEnx operator, and in July 2026 Philippine Airlines selected the GEnx-1B for its incoming fleet of 787-10s.

How did Air France test the oil?

Air France ran the campaign on several GEnx-1B engines across its 787 fleet for more than 36 months. Oil analyses carried out throughout the campaign demonstrated the lubricant's thermal stability and the performance of its antioxidant and anti-wear additives, according to NYCO.

After nearly 7,000 flight hours, engine teardowns and inspections found effective wear protection on lubricated components and low levels of coke deposits — the carbon residue that forms when oil breaks down at high temperature. Those results formed the basis of GE Aerospace's decision.

"The oil has demonstrated excellent quality and performance throughout our in-flight evaluation," said Olivier Boina, Vice President Engine Fleets Engineering at Air France's engine department. "After the GE90 and the CF6, we are pleased to see it qualified for another engine in our fleet."

What does this add to NYCO's approval portfolio?

The GEnx-1B approval extends a global partnership NYCO and Air France signed in September 2021. Under that agreement, the airline first evaluated Turbonycoil 600 on its CF6-80 engines; GE approved the oil for the CF6 and the GE9X in June 2023. At the time, Air France said the lubricant was already in use across its entire Boeing 777, Airbus A320 family and A220 fleets.

"The qualification of Turbonycoil 600 for the GEnx-1B engines is an important step in NYCO's expansion in the civil aviation sector," said Paul Gallais, NYCO's Business Development and Marketing Director. He pointed to 40 years of in-service experience with the oil.

The Paris-based company has also been widening its customer base. In September 2026, NYCO signed a multi-year supply agreement with Japanese carrier Peach Aviation, covering the CFM56-5 and LEAP engines on its Airbus A320ceo, A320neo and A321LR fleet. Peach became the first Japanese airline to select the oil.

Who can use it next?

The GEnx-1B qualification now opens the door to more Boeing 787 operators — a pool that keeps expanding as airlines such as flydubai bring GEnx-powered Dreamliners into their fleets.

For 787 operators, the approval adds a second qualified supply path for engine lubricant at a moment when the GEnx installed base is compounding: 50 million flight hours logged, more than 50 operators flying the engine, and United about to become its largest single customer. With NYCO already supplying Air France's 777s, A320s and A220s, the question for competing lubricant suppliers is how much of the growing widebody fleet follows the same oil.