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AirAsia has ordered 200 CFM LEAP-1A engines to power the 100 Airbus A321neo the airline ordered on Tuesday.
The order, which expands its LEAP engine fleet to nearly 730 engines, is valued at US$2.7 billion at list price.
“This order for the larger A321neo is an important element in our long-term growth and expansion strategy,” said Tony Fernandes, Chief Executive Officer of AirAsia Group. “Choosing the right engine to power them is critical to the success of that strategy. For us, the LEAP-1A was the obvious choice. This engine has demonstrated the promised 15% fuel efficiency and we are quite familiar with the reliability inherent in CFM products and the impact that this has on our operations.”
AirAsia, a pioneer in low cost travel, has been a CFM customer for more than a decade. The airline was an early LEAP customer and placed its initial order for 400 LEAP-1A engines — the largest in aviation history at the time — to power A320neo aircraft in June 2011. The airline placed a follow-on order for 128 additional engines in 2013.
AirAsia began operations in 2001 and has continued to see steady growth. Today, the airline and its subsidiaries operate close to 1,000 flights per day to more than 120 destinations in 24 countries.
“We love working with AirAsia and can’t wait to get the LEAP-1A into their fleet later this year,” said Chaker Chahrour, Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing for CFM parent company GE Aviation. “In many ways, AirAsia and CFM have grown up together in the past 25 years and we are honored to be part of one of the most dynamic, successful teams in the industry today.”
The LEAP-1A engine powered the first flight of the Airbus A321neo in February 2016. The engine is on track for entry into service in mid-2016 on the initial A320neo.
Source: asiatraveltips.com
