LE BOURGET, France — 19 June 2017 — International Airlines Group (IAG), one of the world’s largest airline groups, has selected CFM International’s LEAP-1A engine to power a total of 55 Airbus A320neo family aircraft.
CFM agreement includes spare engines and a long-term support agreement. These aircraft, which are intended for operation at British Airways and Iberia and scheduled to begin delivery in 2018, are part of an order announced by IAG between 2014 and 2015.
To support the new LEAP-1A fleet, IAG has signed a Rate Per Flight Hour (RPFH) agreement, under the terms of which CFM will guarantee maintenance costs for a dollar per flight hour basis. The advantage of this comprehensive agreement to IAG is more predictable maintenance costs over the life of the agreement.
Iberia has been an exclusive CFM operator on its single-aisle fleet for more than 30 years and British Airways has operated CFM56-3-powered Boeing Classic 737s and currently operates two CFM56-5B-powered Airbus A319 aircraft.
“We have a long history with IAG airlines through the CFM56 engine family and are delighted that we can now expand that relationship with the LEAP engine,” said Gaël Méheust, president and CEO of CFM International. “These airlines are some of the best-run in the world and we are confident they will appreciate the unmatched utilization and low overall cost of ownership these engines will provide. The RPFH adds another level of predictability to the equation, and it all comes with CFM’s legendary reliability.”
The LEAP-1A engine entered commercial service in August 2016 and is providing its
14 operators with a 15 percent improvement in fuel efficiency, with an equivalent reduction in CO2 emissions; and lower noise and NOx emissions. To date, the fleet in service has logged more than 77,000 engine flight cycles and more than 145,000 engine flight hours while maintaining CFM’s industry-leading reliability.
About IAG
International Airlines Group is one of the world’s largest airline groups with 547 aircraft flying to 268 destinations and carrying more than 100 million passengers each year. It is the third largest group in Europe and the sixth largest in the world, based on revenue.
Formed in January 2011, IAG is the parent company of Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia and Vueling. It is a Spanish registered company with shares traded on the London Stock Exchange and Spanish Stock Exchanges. The corporate head office for IAG is in London, UK.
In March, IAG launched LEVEL a new low cost longhaul airline brand that has taken to the skies in June 2017 with flights from Barcelona to four transatlantic destinations.
IAG combines leading airlines in Ireland, the UK and Spain, enabling them to enhance their presence in the aviation market while retaining their individual brands and current operations. The airlines’ customers benefit from a larger combined network for both passengers and cargo and a greater ability to invest in new products and services through improved financial robustness.
The airline industry is moving gradually towards consolidation though some regulatory restrictions still prevail. IAG’s mission is to play its full role in future industry consolidation both on a regional and global scale.
British Airways and Iberia are members of the one world alliance.
About CFM International
The LEAP engine is a product of CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines. This engine has experienced the fastest order ramp up in commercial aviation history and CFM has received orders and commitments for a total of more than 12,500 LEAP engines across all three models through May 2017. For more information, visit us at www.cfmaeroengines.com or follow us on Twitter @CFM_engines.
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