Port Louis, Mauritius October 12, 2007 In a ceremony here today, Air Mauritius and CFM International celebrated the achievement of more than one million flight hours by the airline's CFM56-5B and CFM56-5C-powered fleets.
CFM56 engines are a product of CFM International (CFM), a 50/50 joint company between Snecma (Safran Group) and General Electric Company. Nearly 17,500 CFM56 engines have been delivered to date to 490 operators around the globe, making CFM the world's leading supplier of commercial aircraft engines.
Air Mauritius, which celebrated its 40th anniversary earlier this year, has grown from a modest single aircraft operation to today providing passenger and cargo service to more than 25 regional, European, Asian, and African destinations. The airline took delivery of its first CFM56-5C-powered Airbus A340 in 1994 and today operates a fleet of seven long-range, four engine A340s. In 2001, the airline took delivery of its first CFM56-5B-powered twin-engine Airbus A319s and currently has two aircraft in operation.
"We are delighted to celebrate one million hours of operations with CFM engines," said Manoj R K Ujoodha, CEO of Air Mauritius. "Engines are as critical as airframes in our industry. Our partnership with CFM has allowed us to maintain an unblemished safety record and meet performance targets. We are eager to work closer with CFM to strengthen our collaboration especially on environmental issues."
"We are honored to be sharing this very important milestone with Air Mauritius," said Eric Bachelet, president and CEO of CFM International. "It is highly gratifying when an airline of this stature puts its trust in your products. We have developed a strong relationship over the past 13+ years, and we look forward to the future with great anticipation. The entire CFM Team sends its warmest congratulations to everyone at Air Mauritius."