CFM56-7 Reaches 10 Million Flight Hour Milestone
Published on 3rd December 2001
The advanced CFM56-7 powerplant for the Boeing Next-Generation 737 family has achieved 10 million flight hours in just under four years, achieving an outstanding record.
The CFM56-7 is produced by CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between Snecma Moteurs (Safran Group) of France and General Electric of the United States. Nearly 1,900 CFM56-7-powered 737s have been ordered to date, making it the fastest selling engine/aircraft combination in history.
"We are obviously very proud of the CFM56-7," said Pierre Fabre, president and CEO of CFM International. "When we began development work in 1993 we made some significant promises to our customers: better fuel burn, lower maintenance cost, longer time on wing, and improved reliability. This engine has delivered on each of those promises, and then some."
The first CFM56-7-powered 737-700 was delivered to launch customer Southwest Airlines in December 1997. Today, nearly 1,000 aircraft are in service with 99 airlines worldwide. The fleet, which includes 737-600/-700/ -800/ -900, , has also accumulated more than six million flight cycles. These engines have maintained a 99.95 percent dispatch reliability rate, which translates to less than one departure per 2,000 flights being delayed 15 minutes or more or canceled for engine-related issues. The CFM56-7 also has one of the lowest in-flight shutdown rates in the industry: .002 per 1,000 hours. The rate is equivalent to one engine-caused in-flight shutdown every 500,000 flight hours.
In addition to the commercial 737 applications, the CFM56-7 also powers the Boeing Business Jet for 43 customers. The first military application, the C-40A was delivered to the U.S. Naval Reserve in April of this year. The aircraft is a modified 737-700 combination passenger and freighter airplane which was designed to replace the Navy's C-9 fleet. A second military application, the Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) Wedgetail, will enter service with the Australian Defense Force in 2006.
The CFM56-7 is produced by CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between Snecma Moteurs (Safran Group) of France and General Electric of the United States. Nearly 1,900 CFM56-7-powered 737s have been ordered to date, making it the fastest selling engine/aircraft combination in history.
"We are obviously very proud of the CFM56-7," said Pierre Fabre, president and CEO of CFM International. "When we began development work in 1993 we made some significant promises to our customers: better fuel burn, lower maintenance cost, longer time on wing, and improved reliability. This engine has delivered on each of those promises, and then some."
The first CFM56-7-powered 737-700 was delivered to launch customer Southwest Airlines in December 1997. Today, nearly 1,000 aircraft are in service with 99 airlines worldwide. The fleet, which includes 737-600/-700/ -800/ -900, , has also accumulated more than six million flight cycles. These engines have maintained a 99.95 percent dispatch reliability rate, which translates to less than one departure per 2,000 flights being delayed 15 minutes or more or canceled for engine-related issues. The CFM56-7 also has one of the lowest in-flight shutdown rates in the industry: .002 per 1,000 hours. The rate is equivalent to one engine-caused in-flight shutdown every 500,000 flight hours.
In addition to the commercial 737 applications, the CFM56-7 also powers the Boeing Business Jet for 43 customers. The first military application, the C-40A was delivered to the U.S. Naval Reserve in April of this year. The aircraft is a modified 737-700 combination passenger and freighter airplane which was designed to replace the Navy's C-9 fleet. A second military application, the Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) Wedgetail, will enter service with the Australian Defense Force in 2006.
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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