Apr 17 2004
The CFM56-5B engine, produced by a 50/50 joint company between GE and Snecma Moteurs, has been selected by China Southern Airlines to power 21 Airbus A320 family aircraft. The order, which includes engines for 15 A320s and six A319s, is valued at just over $250 million.
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China Southern, one of the largest airlines operating in The People's Republic of China, operates more than 3,200 flights each week on domestic and international routes. The airline will begin taking delivery of the CFM56-powered A320s later this year, with deliveries extending through 2007.
The CFM56-5B's maker, CFM International, is the world's leading supplier of commercial transport engines. There are currently more than 14,100 in service worldwide.
" We've formed a great working relationship with China Southern over the years," said Li Hsi, President of CFM International, Greater China Region. "The CFM56-3 and CFM56-7 engines have performed well in their fleet, and we are honored that the CFM56-5B is the engine of choice for their modernized A320 fleet."
The CFM56-5 continues to be the engine of choice for the Airbus A320 family, having been selected to power 57 percent of all A320 family aircraft ordered to date. The high reliability, long on-wing life and low maintenance costs of the CFM56 engine family make these engines extremely popular with leasing companies. One of the primary factors behind the engine's broad-based market acceptance has been its simple, rugged architecture, which gives it the highest reliability, durability and repairability in its class.
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