Farnborough, England— 15 July, 2014 — China’s Zhejiang Loong Airlines has selected CFM International's CFM56-5B engine to power 11 Airbus A320ceo aircraft. CFM values the engine order and associated service agreement at nearly $250 million U.S. at list price, including spare engines
Under the terms of the Rate per Flight Hour (RPFH) service agreement, CFM will guarantee maintenance costs for all 24 CFM56-5B engines on a dollar per engine flight hour basis.
Zhejiang Loong Airlines, based in Hangzho in Eastern China, began commercial operations in December 2013 with a leased CFM56-5B-powered Airbus A320 aircraft and has since added five additional airplanes to its fleet.
“We are very pleased to order CFM56 engines to power our A320 aircraft," said Liu Qihong, chairman of Zhejiang Loong Airlines. "Our goal is to contribute to the economic and social development of Zhejiang province by providing efficient transportation. The CFM56-5B engine is the ideal choice to help us achieve those goals, providing reliability and operational economics, backed by CFM's world-class customer support organization."
"I am very happy to welcome Loong Airlines as a new CFM customer," said Jean-Paul Ebanga, president and CEO of CFM International, “This airline is already off to a great start and we are honored to be a part of its ongoing success."
All of Loong Air's CFM56-5B engines have also been certified for TRUEngineTM status.
Launched in 2008, the TRUEngine designation provides assurance to owners, operators, and engine buyers that engines qualified for the TRUEngine program have been maintained to CFMs recommended configuration. An independent study has shown that engines maintained with OEM parts and repairs maintain as much as 50% higher asset value than engines that include non-OEM parts or repairs. More than 7,500 CFM56 engines operated by nearly 100 operators have received the TRUEngine designation.
To qualify for TRUEngine status, the engine configuration, overhaul practices, spare parts and repairs used to service an engine must comply with CFM-issued engine manuals and other maintenance recommendations. The qualification is obtained through the customer's declaration of compliance and CFM's verification of customer submitted maintenance records. There is no cost to participate. Additional benefits include extended new part warranty, complimentary access to the engine lease pool and optimized product support. For more information, visit www.cfmaeroengines.com/truengine.
About CFM International
CFM56 engines are a product of CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between Snecma (Safran) and GE. CFM is the world’s leading supplier of commercial aircraft engines, with more than 26,500 delivered to 530 operators around the globe. For more information, visit us at www.cfmaeroengines.com or follow us on Twitter @CFM_engines.