Condor Flugdienst, the German charter carrier, has placed a $65 million order for CFM56-5A3 engines to power six firm Airbus Industrie A320 aircraft scheduled to begin delivery in early 1998.
The CFM56-5 is produced by CFM International (CFMI), a 50/50 joint company of Snecma (Safran Group) of France and General Electric of the United States.
"We're very happy that CFM56 engines will continue to be an integral part of Condor's fleet," said Klaus Huber, European sales manager for CFMI. "The airline already operates a fleet of CFM56-3-powered Boeing 737s, so we have a very strong working relationship with them. The new -5A-powered A320s will enhance Condor's short-to-medium-range fleet and help the airline further solidify its position in the highly competitive charter market."
Condor and its parent company, Lufthansa German Airlines, operate a combined fleet of more than 130 CFM56-powered aircraft. CFM56-5 series engines have some of the highest reliability ratings and lowest operating costs of any engines in their thrust class and are the engines of choice for more than 60 percent of all Airbus A319/A320/A321 aircraft ordered to date.