PARIS, France October 10, 2006 Willis Lease Finance Corporation and CFM International today signed an agreement for the purchase of up to 45 firm CFM56-7B and CFM56-5B spare engines, with options for an additional 30 engines. The company is scheduled to take delivery of its first engine in 2007, with deliveries extending through 2011. The order is potentially valued at about $540 million at list price if all options are exercised.
CFM International is a 50/50 joint company between Snecma (Safran Group) and General Electric Company.
California-based Willis Lease Finance Corporation leases spare commercial aircraft engines, rotable parts and aircraft to commercial airlines, aircraft engine manufacturers and overhaul/repair facilities worldwide. The company owns one of the largest and most diverse engine portfolios in the industry. Willis was founded in the mid-1970s and became a publicly traded company in 1996.
All CFM56-5B and CFM56-7B engines delivered beginning in mid-2007 will be the new Tech Insertion configuration. CFM56 Tech Insertion incorporates improvements in the high-pressure compressor, the combustor, and the high- and low-pressure turbines to provide lower maintenance costs, improved engine emissions, and better fuel burn.