CSA Czech Airline Places $130 Million CFM56-5B Engine Order

October 18, 2004

er is valued at more than $130 million at list price.

CFM56-5B engines are produced by CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between Snecma Moteurs (Safran Group) (France) and General Electric Company. CFM, celebrating its 30th anniversary, is the world's leading supplier of commercial aircraft engines.

CSA Czech Airlines, which plans to begin taking delivery of the new aircraft in 2006, has been the Czech Republic flag carrier since 1923. The airline operates routes to more than 60 destinations in nearly 40 countries throughout Eastern and Western Europe, the Middle East, and North America. CSA became a CFM customer in 1992 when it purchased CFM56-3-powered Boeing 737-500 aircraft. It later added 737-400s and today operates 28 aircraft.

The high reliability, long on-wing life, and low maintenance costs of the CFM56-5 makes it extremely popular with leasing companies, low-cost carriers, and major airlines worldwide. About 1,700 CFM56-5B engines have been delivered to date, and the fleet is growing at a rate of about 20 engines per month.

Primary factors behind the engine's broad-based market acceptance include this industry's best reliability (with a 0.001 in-flight shutdown rate) durability, and low cost of ownership brought about by the engines simple, rugged architecture. CFM56-5 engines are averaging nearly 16,000 hours on wing prior to initial shop visit, and more than 10,000 hours after overhaul. No competing engine in this thrust class can match this record. On average, CFM56-5B engines have a maintenance cost advantages of nearly $2 million per engine over a 15-year period versus the competition.

The CFM56-5B is the only engine that can power every model of the A320 family keeping the same bill of materials, giving airlines a distinct commonality advantage.

Jamie Jewell



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Charles Soret



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Perry Bradley



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Talal Ahmed Almahmood


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talal.almahmood@gulfair.com