Turbo fans in dusty runway conditions

[wolfracesonic]

I watched a repeat of Top Gear on Dave yesterday (I know, who knew!) the one with the drag race at the deserted Spanish airport runway. The damage to the undertray from dust/sand on the Ferrari was quite eye opening. Is operating airliners from Middle East runways a major issue engine wear wise, those big fat turbo fans being abraded by sand? Do they have a reduced service life compared to planes operating in less severe conditions?

[Mave]

Engines operating in dirty, dusty, sandy, grimy areas will generally wear out more quickly than those operated in clean areas. Generally you get reduced performance, you can sometimes recover some performance by washing the aerofoils (google compressor wash) but there's not much you can do about eroded aerofoils ad blocked turbine cooling holes.