Includes LEAP-1B and CFM56-7BOpted for long-term service agreement
FARNBOROUGH, England — 16 July 2014 — China's 9 Air has ordered CFM International's LEAP-1B engine to power 30 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, in addition to CFM56-7B engines to power 20 Next-Generation 737s. CFM values the order at $3.7 billion U.S. at list price, including spare engines and a long-term service agreement. The airplane orders were previously announced.
Under the terms of the Rate per Flight Hour (RPFH) agreement, CFM will guarantee maintenance costs for all 105 LEAP-1B and CFM56-7B engines on a dollar per engine flight hour basis.
"We have had a great experience operating CFM engines in Juneyao Airlines and we look forward to strengthening this great relationship as we launch 9 Air,” said Wang Junjin, chairman of Juneyao Airlines. "We are confident in the reliability and operating economics of the CFM engines and look forward to introducing the LEAP engine into the mix. The exceptional fuel efficiency and low maintenance costs these engines bring will be critical our new low-cost operations."
“We are very pleased to welcome 9 Air to the family of CFM operators," said Allen Paxson, executive vice president of CFM International. "We have had a great relationship with its parent company, Juneyao from the very beginning and we look forward to building the same kind of great relationship with 9 Air and it launches operations."
The LEAP-1B, which is the sole powerplant for the Boeing 737 MAX, began ground testing in June 2014 three days ahead of schedule. The engine is part of the most extensive ground and flight test certification program in the company’s history and will encompass 60 engine builds over the next three years and will accumulate approximately 40,000 cycles before entry into service.
All of 9 Air's Next-Generation 737s will be powered by the CFM56-7BE engine, the new production configuration introduced in mid-2011. CFM used advanced computer codes and three-dimensional design techniques to improve airfoils in the high- and low-pressure turbines for better engine performance. In addition, the company improved engine durability and reduced parts count to achieve lower maintenance costs. When combined with airplane improvements, the engine provides two percent better fuel efficiency and up to four percent lower maintenance costs.
The foundation of the LEAP engine is heavily rooted in advanced aerodynamics, environmental, and materials technology development programs. It will provide 15 percent better fuel consumption and an equivalent reduction in CO2 emissions compared to today’s best CFM engine, along with dramatic reductions in engine noise and emissions. All this technology brings with it CFM’s legendary reliability and low maintenance costs.
About 9 Air
Based in Guangzhou, 9 Air is China’s newest low-cost airline and is also a subsidiary of Juneyao Airlines. The new low-cost carrier plans to launch domestic services to meet growing air traffic demand in China
About CFM International
LEAP engines are a product of CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between Snecma (Safran) and GE. CFM is the world's leading supplier of commercial aircraft engines and has delivered more than 26,500 CFM56 engines to date. For more information, visit us at www.cfmaeroengines.com or follow us on Twitter @CFM_engines.
