Ryanair has placed an order for CFM56-7B engines to power 25 firm Next-Generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft in an engine ordered valued at more than $300 million.
CFM56 engines are produced by CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between Snecma (Safran Group) of France and General Electric of the United States. CFM is the world's leading supplier of commercial transport aircraft engines, garnering approximately 60 percent of the 100+-passenger market in 1997 and holding a 54-percent share of this market over the past five years.
Ryanair, based in Dublin, Ireland, is one of Europe's leading low-fare airlines and will begin taking delivery of the new 737s in 1999. The Next-Generation 737s will service the airline's scheduled and charter routes.
The 737-800 is currently undergoing flight tests and is scheduled for certification later this month. The airplane is scheduled to enter commercial service with launch customer Hapag-Lloyd in April. In January, the Next-Generation 737-700 entered service with Southwest Airlines in the U.S., and has since been delivered to Maersk and Germania. The 737-600-the smallest in the Next-Generation 737 airplane family-is also undergoing flight tests and will enter service with Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) later this year.
The CFM56-7 is the exclusive powerplant for the Next-Generation 737 family. Since the program was launched in 1993, it has become the best-selling engine/aircraft combination is history. With the addition of Ryanair, total announced orders now stand at 836 aircraft.