BOGOTA, Colombia March 18, 2008 Avianca has taken delivery of the first of 50 CFM56-5B-powered Airbus A320. The airline became CFM's newest customer in 2007 with a $650 million order (at list price) for engines to power 47 purchased A319/A320 aircraft, as well as leasing three additional airplanes from CIT Aerospace. Avianca is scheduled to take delivery of its new single-aisle aircraft fleet between 2008 and 2012.
CFM56-5B engines are a product of CFM International (CFM), a 50/50 joint venture between Snecma (Safran Group) and General Electric Company and the world's leading supplier of commercial aircraft engines.
"We believe that the CFM-powered A320 family aircraft will be a great addition to our fleet," said Fabio Villegas, CEO of Avianca. "The advanced technology of this engine, coupled with its industry-leading reliability and low cost of ownership will help Avianca fulfill its mission of earning customer loyalty through on-time performance, flexibility, and innovation."
Avianca, the first airline founded in the Americas, is part of the Synergy Group, which also has economic interests in Brazil's OceanAir, and Ecuador's Vipsa. With more than six thousand (6,000) direct employees and a fleet of 51 short, middle and long haul aircraft, Avianca directly operates to 20 destinations in Colombia and 19 cities in America and Europe. From its Bogota hub, it offers an average of 300 flights a day among destinations in Colombia and abroad. Travelers have a wide range of choices for connections among directly operated destinations, or through 170 interline or code-share agreements with major international airlines. Besides offering air transportation to passengers, Avianca also offers tourist services, cargo, and courier as well as air transportation services to third parties through its business units Descubra, Deprisa and Avianca Services. For more information, enter: www.avianca.com
All of Avianca's A320 aircraft will be equipped with advanced CFM56-5B Tech Insertion Engines. The CFM56 Tech Insertion program, which was certified on A320 family aircraft in September 2007, incorporates advanced technologies that provide operators with lower maintenance costs and better environmental performance.
Improved analytic design tools enabled CFM to further improve the Tech Insertion combustor so that it will provide approximately 25 percent lower NOx emissions. As a result, this engine will meet the new International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection emissions standards (CAEP /6) scheduled to take effect in early 2008. In addition, the engine's 1 percent improvement in fuel consumption will also lower CO2, reducing these emissions by up to 200 tons per aircraft per year. Over the engine's life cycle, CFM56 Tech Insertion should also provide Avianca with longer time on wing and lower maintenance costs through enhanced durability.
The CFM56-5B is the engine of choice for the Airbus A320 family and is popular with major airlines, low-cost carriers, and leasing companies alike. More than 3,000 CFM56-5B engines have been delivered to date, and the fleet is growing at a rate of about 40 engines per month. Primary factors behind the engine's broad-based market acceptance include this industry's best reliability, durability, low cost of ownership, and world-class customer and product support. The CFM56-5B is the only engine that can power every model of the A320 family, from the small A318 up to the A321, with the same bill of materials. For more information on CFM International, visit us at www.cfmaeroengines.com.