Libyan Airlines has become a new CFM International customer with the selection of CFM56-5B engines to power seven firm, five option Airbus A320 family aircraft. The firm engine order is valued at approximately $95 million U.S. at list price and the airline is scheduled to begin taking delivery in mid-2010.
Libyan Airlines, based in Tripoli, was founded in 1964 as the national flag carrier of Libya. It operates scheduled passenger and cargo services within Libya and Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
Libyan Airlines and Afriqiyah Airways, Libya's other state carrier, have recently been grouped under Libyan African Aviation Holding Company, an organization created to coordinate the development of the Libyan air transportation.
"We are pleased to announce the selection of the highly reliable CFM56-5B/3 engines to power this new Airbus A320 order," said Capt Mohamed Ibsem, chief executive officer of Libyan Airlines. "This acquisition is part of a major fleet development plan that will allow Libyan Airlines to expand its market presence in the region while keeping our overall cost of ownership in check."
"We are honored to welcome Libyan Airlines to the CFM family of operators," said Eric Bachelet, president and CEO of CFM International. "This order demonstrates the airline's trust in the CFM56 engine and we look forward to a long relationship together."
Libyan Airlines new fleet of CFM56-5B engines will be the Tech Insertion configuration, which was introduced in September 2007. To date, the fleet of over 800 engines in service worldwide has logged nearly 2 million flight hours and more than 1 million flight cycles without a single engine-related event.
CFM56 Tech Insertion provides operators with a 1 percent improvement in fuel consumption over the life of the product, compared to the base CFM56-5B engine. This lower fuel consumption also significantly lowers CO2 emissions. Improved analytic design tools have also enabled CFM to further optimize the Tech Insertion combustor such that it emits 25 percent lower NOx emissions. As a result, the engine meets the current International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Committee of Aviation Environmental Protection standards (CAEP /6) that took effect in early 2008.
Over the engine's life cycle, Tech Insertion will also provide operators with longer time on wing and will lower maintenance costs between five and 12 percent, depending on the thrust rating. These benefits are achieved through improvements to the high-pressure compressor and the high- and low-pressure turbines.
CFM56-5B engines are a product of CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between Snecma (Safran Group) and General Electric Company.