LE BOURGET June 18, 2003 Shannon Engine Support (SES) has become the only CFM56 lessor to offer CFM56-3 engines upgraded with the advanced Time On Wing (TOW) package. SES has added two upgraded -3 engines to its portfolio which are now available for short- and long-term lease.
SES is a wholly owned subsidiary of CFM International (CFM). CFM, a 50/50 joint company between Snecma Moteurs (Safran Group) of France and General Electric Company, produces the world's best-selling commercial engine product line, the CFM56 family. SES is the third largest spare engine leasing company in the industry and is the leading lessor of CFM56 spares. In 2002, the SES customer base grew by more than 20 percent and now includes nearly 75 customers worldwide. "The addition of the TOW engines is an important element in the broad-based support we provide," said SES managing director Roger Welaratne. "We are committed to providing comprehensive, full-service spare engine support to all CFM56 operators, not just airlines, but customers with special needs such as Boeing Business Jet operators, airlines with CFM56-5B engines equipped with the double annular combustor (DAC), and now airlines with the TOW package."
The TOW kit, which features advanced three-dimensional high-pressure compressor aerodynamics (3-D aero) and new high-pressure turbine hardware, was certified in mid-2002. The upgrade is installed during normal overhaul and provides significant benefits, including: a 1 percent improvement in specific fuel consumption, as well as up to 15 degrees additional exhaust gas temperature (EGT) margin, which reduces maintenance costs through longer on-wing life.
Purchase of the TOW engines is another example of SES's flexible, cost-effective engine leasing solutions, tailored to operators' specific requirements. With pools of engines worldwide, the company can provide engines in a ready-to-install configuration within 24 hours. SES also offers short-term engine leases, operating leases, sale/leaseback, and engine trading. In addition to the two TOW engines, SES manages 150 CFM56-5A and CFM56-5B engines for the Airbus A320 family; CFM56-5C engines for the Airbus A340; and CFM56-3 and CFM56-7 engines for Boeing 737 aircraft.