DUBAI, U.A.E — At a special ceremony here April 23, flydubai and CFM International celebrated the airline’s achievement of 500,000 engine flight hours with its fleet of CFM56-7B engines.
"We are pleased to celebrate these two tremendous milestones with flydubai, and the entire CFM Team extends its warmest congratulations,” said Jean-Paul Ebanga, president & CEO of CFM International.
flydubai has been a CFM customer since it launched operations in mid-2009 and currently operates a fleet of 36 CFM56-7B-powered Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft. In November, the airline announced an order to up to 200 LEAP-1B engines to power Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, in addition to ordering 22 additional CFM56-7BE engines to power Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 aircraft.
“CFM engines provide us with the reliability and efficiency that is a key component of our operations. With our growing fleet, we are looking forward to our next half a million engine flight hours with CFM engines,” said Ghaith Al Ghaith, chief executive officer at flydubai.
In addition to achieving the 500,000 flight-hour milestone, flydubai is also the 100th customer to join the TRUEngine program, qualifying all of its CFM56-7B engines.
The TRUEngine designation serves as a method for identifying engines with CFM-approved content and facilitates product support of the engine system. Moreover, industry stakeholders can use the knowledge of engine content to evaluate engine value and re-marketability. The TRUEngine program is available for all CFM56 engines. To qualify, a customer submits a declared list of compliant engine serial numbers, along with engine maintenance records, to CFM for evaluation to ensure the engine content, overhaul practices, and repairs are consistent with CFM recommendations for that engine model.
“flydubai is helping to set the standard for low-cost carriers in one of the fastest growing regions in the industry," said Ebanga. "It has been an honor to work with this airline from the beginning and be a part of its very successful growth. As we look to the future and the introduction of the new LEAP-1B engine, we remain firmly committed to doing everything in our power to assure them that they made the right choice with CFM."
About CFM International
CFM International is a 50/50 joint company between Snecma (Safran) and GE and the world’s largest supplier of commercial aircraft engines. To date, more than 26,250 CFM56 engines have been delivered to approximately 530 operators around the globe. This fleet has achieved more than 680 million flight hours as the most reliable engines in the air. For more information, visit us at www.cfmaeroengines.com or follow us on Twitter @CFM engines.
About flydubai
Dubai-based flydubai strives to remove barriers to travel and enhance connectivity between different cultures across its ever-expanding network. Since launching its operations in 2009, flydubai has:
Created a network of more than 65 destinations, with 17 new routes launched in 2013.Opened up 46 new routes that did not previously have direct air links to Dubai or were not served by a UAE national carrier from Dubai.Built up a fleet of 36 new aircraft and will take delivery of more than 100 aircraft by the end of 2023.
In addition, flydubai’s agility and flexibility as a young airline has enhanced Dubai’s economic development, in line with the Government of Dubai’s vision, by creating trade and tourism flows in previously underserved markets. For more information about flydubai services, please visit flydubai.com.
