- GATX/Flightlease has ordered CFM56-5B engines to power 14 firm, 10 option Airbus Industrie A320 family aircraft. The firm engine order is valued at $140 million.
CFM56-5 engines are produced by CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between Snecma Moteurs (Safran Group) of France and General Electric of the United States. CFM is the worlds leading supplier of commercial aircraft engines, gaining nearly 50 percent of all orders to power 100+ passenger aircraft in the past 10 years.
The CFM56-5 engines, which are scheduled to begin delivery in XXXX, bring to nearly 100 the total number of CFM56 engines GATX/Flightlease has order in less than one year. In February 2000, the company announced that it would purchase 18 firm Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft.
The CFM56-5 is the most popular engine for the A320 family, with nearly 60 percent of the orders to date. The high reliability, long on-wing life, and low maintenance costs of the CFM56 engine family makes these engines extremely popular with leasing companies. In fact, nearly 60 percent of the aircraft ordered by leasing companies is powered by CFM56 engines. CFM56-powered aircraft also have the highest resale value in the industry.