In a special gala celebration here last night, The Boeing Company named CFM International a Supplier of the Year for its superior performance and ability to achieve high levels of customer satisfaction in 2010.
Click here to view the 2010 Supplier of the Year video
The award recognizes companies that have not only consistently demonstrated excellence in the delivery of high-quality products and services to Boeing but also exceeded expectations.
CFM was previously named a Supplier of the Year in 2003.
"This is a tremendous honor for us," said Jean-Paul Ebanga, president and CEO of CFM International. "Obviously, CFM would not be the leader it is today without our outstanding 30+ year relationship with Boeing. This award shows that our biggest customer believes we have done our job well, and it recognizes the thousands of CFM people worldwide who work every single day with passion and precision to design, manufacture, and support an industry-leading, world-class product. We couldn't be more proud."
Boeing, which recognized a total of 16 companies, chose the winners from among its more than 17,500 suppliers from 50 countries worldwide. Each was chosen based on statistical measurements of quality, on-time delivery, post-delivery support, cost, and their ability to anticipate and respond to changing customer requirements.
In 1980, Boeing selected a fledgling engine company to provide the sole powerplant for its 737-300/-400/-500 series of aircraft. Four thousand engines and 1,987 airplanes later, the CFM56-3-powered 737 became a story for the record books.
The CFM56-7B-powered 737, introduced in 1997, has already far surpassed both the CFM56-3 and all expectations. This engine is providing customers around the globe the most reliable, advanced technology in the industry. More than 7,000 engines have been delivered to date and the CFM56-7B has redefined the industry standard for performance, reliability, time on wing, and maintenance costs. In mid-2011, customers will begin taking delivery of the CFM56-7BE-powered Next-Generation 737 enhanced airplane/engine combination that will provide a 2 percent improvement in fuel consumption, which, in turn, equates to a 2 percent reduction in carbon emissions, and up to four percent lower maintenance costs.
More than 30 years after the relationship began, the CFM56-powered Boeing 737 family has become the most successful aircraft/engine combination in commercial aviation history and the relationship between Boeing and CFM has never been stronger.