A CFM56-3C engine in service with Malev has set a new CFM56 time on wing record, logging more than 35,000 hours and 14,000 cycles without a single removal. CFM56-3 engines are produced by CFM International (CFM), a 50/50 joint company of Snecma Moteurs (Safran Group) of France and General Electric of the United States.
The engine was part of the original installation on a new Boeing 737-500 delivered to Hapag-Lloyd in December 1990; Malev has been leasing the aircraft since 1999. During its in-service life, the engine has undergone routine inspections but has remained trouble free. Malev has no immediate plans to remove the engine. With 30° EGT (exhaust gas temperature) margin still remaining, the engine may well exceed 40,000 hours on wing before it is removed.
Malev, based in Budapest, is the national carrier of Hungary and has been in operation for more than 50 years. The airline currently operates a fleet of 12 Boeing 737-300/-400/-500 aircraft powered by the CFM56-3 on routes throughout Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East.