General Electric Company and Snecma (Safran Group), parent companies of CFM International, signed an agreement in June 2008 that extends the 50/50 partnership to the year 2040.
With this extension, the two parent companies are strongly positioning CFM for continued long-term success in developing the next-generation engine. With the LEAP-X engine, CFM is introducing revolutionary technologies with the goal of achieving up to a 16 percent reduction in fuel burn compared to the current Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft families by 2016. In addition, the agreement also provides for integrated services offerings for these future engines.
"Our industry is in the midst of perhaps the most challenging times we have ever faced," said Jean-Paul Herteman, CEO of Safran Group. "In the early 1970s, the GE/Snecma partnership brought the benefits of high bypass turbofan technology to reduce fuel burn by 20 percent compared to the low-bypass engines they replaced, while introducing a new standard in reliability. We are now in a position to bring that same magnitude of improvement to the industry for the next 30 years."
"The relationship between GE and Safran today is the strongest it has ever been," said David Joyce, president and CEO of GE Aviation. "Together, through the LEAP-X engine, we are bringing an advanced suite of revolutionary technologies to market that will take the next generation of single-aisle aircraft to a whole new level of fuel efficiency, while also reducing NOx emissions, carbon emissions, and noise. We understand the pressures the airlines are under. As we have in the past, we will deliver for the future."
The original framework agreement was signed in 1974, creating CFM International as a 50/50 joint venture between the two aircraft engine manufacturers. It was a decision that would redefine international cooperation and help change the course of commercial aviation. Today, CFM is the preferred supplier of commercial aircraft engines with a product line that serves as the industry benchmark for efficiency, reliability, and low overall cost of ownership. More than 19,000 CFM56 engines powering 30 different aircraft applications have been delivered to date to nearly 500 operators around the globe.
The CFM56 fleet has achieved nearly 420 million flight hours in service powering more than 7,800 commercial and military aircraft worldwide as the most reliable engines in the air.