CFM Celebrates 20 Years Of Commercial Service
Published on 4th November 2002
CFM International (CFM) had been formed as a 50/50 joint company between Snecma (Safran Group) of France and General Electric of the United States in mid-1974. After more than five years of very successful development work, though, the company had not received a single order. In March 1979, a mere two weeks before the program was due to be officially cancelled, Delta, along with United Airlines and Flying Tigers, chose the fledgling company to re-engine DC-8 Super 70s. Within weeks, the U.S. Air Force has selected the CFM56-2 to re-engine its fleet of KC-135 tanker aircraft, and the program was saved.
No one realized at the time what they had created. Over the past 20 years, CFM has become the model for successful international joint ventures and the CFM56 product line has become the best-selling commercial engine in history. The CFM56 family encompasses six engine models ranging form 18,500 to 34, 000 pounds (82 to 151 kN) thrust powering 29 different commercial and military applications for 350 customers around the world.
Total CFM56 engine orders currently stand at more than 15,300, of which more than 13,500 have been delivered. These orders represent more than 50 percent of the 100+ passenger aircraft ordered over the past decade. To date in 2002, CFM has received orders 566 engines, or 62 percent of the commercial orders placed.
And what about those early customers? Today, Delta operates more than 100 CFM-powered 737 aircraft, while United Airlines has more than 150. The U.S. Air Force is still CFM's largest customer, with nearly 1,800 engines in service or on order.
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About CFM International
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 produces the LEAP family of engines and supports LEAP and CFM56 fleets for operators worldwide. For the future of air transport, CFM’s RISE program is accelerating development of new propulsion technologies that will pave the way for the next generation of aircraft. Discover more at www.cfmaeroengines.com