Get all the coverage from Farnborough air show on our dedicated landing page
AirAsia has selected the CFM International Leap-1A engine to power its 100 new Airbus A321neos recently ordered at the Farnborough air show.
CFM says the order, which expands the airline's Leap fleet to nearly 730 engines, is valued at $2.7 billion at list price.
“This order for the larger A321neo is an important element in our long-term growth and expansion strategy,” says Tony Fernandes, AirAsia's group chief executive.
“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.”
CFM says the Leap-1A engine is on track for entry into service in mid-2016.
“We believe there is no greater endorsement of the technology choices we have made for the Leap engine than the continued confidence of an airline such as AirAsia,” adds CFM International's president and chief executive Jean-Paul Ebanga. “We are looking proving to them that they have made the right choice.”
AirAsia had placed an initial order for 400 Leap-1As in 2011 to power its A320neo aircraft. This was followed up by a separate order for 128 additional engines in 2013.
Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that the AirAsia Group has 303 A320neos on order. It currently operates a fleet of 170 CFM 56-powered A320s with 304 of the current generation aircraft still to be delivered.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
