Air Arabia signs CFM services agreement for LEAP-1A engines
Published on 18th November 2025
- Agreement covers six Airbus A321LR aircraft with CFM LEAP-1A engines
DUBAI – Air Arabia, the first and one of the largest budget operators in the Middle East and North Africa, today signed an agreement with CFM International, to extend services to cover the CFM LEAP-1A engines that power six A321neo LR aircraft. The agreement was signed during the Dubai Airshow and included senior executives from both CFM and Air Arabia.
Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia said: “This extended agreement with CFM reinforces Air Arabia’s commitment to operational excellence and sustainable growth while supporting our efforts in the utilization and durability of our LEAP engines, as well as maintaining efficiency across our fleet.”
“We are honored by Air Arabia’s trust in our LEAP engine and support,” said Gaël Méheust, President and CEO of CFM International. “This strengthens our commitment to providing world-class support to maximize the utilization of their LEAP fleet throughout the product lifecycle.”
Air Arabia became a CFM customer in 2003 as the airline kicked off operations with an Airbus A320 aircraft powered by CFM56-5B engines. The company currently operates a fleet of 71 A320ceo and ten A321neo family aircraft. Air Arabia still has 116 LEAP-powered A320neo family aircraft on order.
Since entering service, CFM LEAP engines have accumulated more than 90 million flight hours. The advanced CFM LEAP engine family reduces fuel consumption and COemissions by 15 percent compared to best-selling CFM56 engines, along with a significant reduction in noise. In 2024, CFM introduced a high-pressure turbine durability kit to increase an engine’s time on wing in severe environments such as the Middle East.
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About Air Arabia
Air Arabia is the Middle East and North Africa’s leading budget carrier operator. Air Arabia commenced operations in October 2003 and currently operates a total fleet of 92 modern Airbus A320 & A321 aircraft, serving over 200 routes from six strategic hubs in the UAE (Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Abu Dhabi), Morocco, Egypt, and Pakistan (Fly Jinnah). Air Arabia Group is an award-winning airline operator that focuses on offering comfort, reliability, and value-for-money air travel. For further information, please visit: www.airarabia.com.
About CFM International
A 50/50 joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines, CFM International has redefined international cooperation and helped change the course of commercial aviation since its founding in 1974. Today, CFM is the world's leading supplier of commercial aircraft engines with a product line that sets the industry standard for efficiency, reliability, durability, and optimized cost of ownership. CFM International produces the LEAP family of engines and supports LEAP and CFM56 fleets for operators worldwide.
www.cfmaeroengines.com