Lufthansa Airlines today signed an agreement with CFM International to purchase CFM56-5A5 engines to power 20 firm Airbus Industrie A319 aircraft in an engine order valued at about $200 million.
The CFM56-5A engine, which is due to be delivered to Lufthansa beginning in July 1996, is produced by CFM International (CFMI), a 50/50 joint company of Snecma (Safran Group) of France and General Electric of the United States.
"We are especially pleased with this order from Lufthansa, because it reflects the airline's continuing long-term relationship with CFMI," said Klaus Huber, sales director for GE Aircraft Engines in Central Europe. "Lufthansa already operates more than 200 CFMI-powered aircraft. We consider this order a significant vote of confidence in the CFM56 product.
Today, more than 10,000 CFM56 engines are in service or on order with nearly 200 customers in 76 countries. Over the past decade, CFMI has gained a 37 percent share of the overall 100+ passenger commercial aircraft market. The CFM56-5 has won 63 percent of all the 838 Airbus Industrie A319, A320 and A321s ordered to date.