Zurich, Switzerland-based VIP carrier Comlux today announced that it will power its new Airbus ACJ321 with CFM International's CFM56-5B engine. The aircraft are scheduled for delivery in 2013 and the engine order is valued at approximately $20 million U.S. at list price.
This order represents the first for the aircraft type and Comlux is the first carrier to operate Airbus ACJ318, ACJ319, ACJ320 and A321, all powered by the CFM56-5B.
"We couldn't be happier with the CFM56-5B engines in our fleet," said Richard Gaona chief executive officer of Comlux. "The reliability of this product is world-class and the outstanding operating economics of this engine help us keep our costs in line. With CFM, we have the confidence to assure our customers of the very highest level of service."
"This is another terrific milestone in our long-standing relationship with Comlux," said Gal Meheust, vice president of sales for CFM International. "We are honored by their continued faith in our products, and they have our promise that we will continue to provide the unequalled level of quality and customer support they have always had from CFM."
The high reliability, long on-wing life, and low maintenance costs of the CFM56-5 make it extremely popular with major airlines, low-cost carriers, and leasing companies worldwide.
The engines power this new ACJ321 airplane will be the CFM56-5B Performance Improvement Package (PIP). The -5B PIP completed extensive ground testing and more than 26 hours of flight testing on the A320. The engine, which is the new production configuration for the CFM56-5B, entered service earlier this month.
The improvements, which provide a 0.5% improvement in fuel burn, include hardware changes to the core, including new high-pressure turbine blade, as well as manufacturing changes the fan and compressor blades and vanes to improve performance retention. The engine will maintain the same noise signature as the current production engine. These engines also meet current International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Committee of Aviation Environmental Protection standards (CAEP /6) requirements.
CFM56-5B engines are a product of CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between Snecma (Safran group) and GE. CFM, the world's leading supplier of commercial aircraft engines, has delivered nearly 23,000 engines to date. The CFM56-5B engine powers every model of the Airbus A320 family and has been chosen to power nearly 60 percent of all A320 aircraft in service or on order.