Continental Airlines has announced firm orders for 30 Boeing 737-500 and 30 Boeing 737-600 twinjet aircraft powered by CFM56-3 and CFM56-7 turbofan engines, respectively, in an engine order valued at $450 million.
Delivery of the aircraft is to begin in 1997 and continue through 1999.
CFM56 engines are produced by CFM International (CFMI), a 50/50 joint company of Snecma (Safran Group) of France and General Electric of the United States.
Continental Airlines currently has 101 CFM56-powered 737s in revenue service and has placed firm orders for an additional 108, including the 60 announced today.
Since the first CFM56-3-powered 737-300 entered service in 1984, the CFM56-3 engine and 737-300/-400/-500 aircraft family has become the best-selling engine/aircraft combination in commercial aviation history . Now, before flight testing has even begun, the new 737-600/-700/-800 aircraft powered by the new CFM56-7 engine has become the world's fastest selling airliner, with more than 400 aircraft on firm order.