GEnx

Air France-KLM has placed a $1.7bn order for GEnx-1B engines to power its 25 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 12 leased 787 aircraft.

The French-Dutch airline company has also signed a deal with GE Aviation to offer maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services for the GEnx-1B engine.

Under the agreement, Air France-KLM will have the licence to perform maintenance and overhaul work on the GEnx-1B engine.

GE will deliver technical support and assistance on overhaul workscoping and component repair licenses, comprehensive material support and training.

Air France-KLM chairman and CEO Alexandre de Juniac said GEnx engines offer Air France-KLM several significant benefits, including lower fuel burn, low emissions and less noise.

"These attributes will help us lower our cost of ownership and reduce our footprint on the environment."

"These attributes will help us lower our cost of ownership and reduce our footprint on the environment," Juniac said. "Furthermore, this new partnership positions us as a major player in the maintenance of these new generation engines."

A part of GE’s ‘ecomagination’ product portfolio, the GEnx engine family delivers up to 15% less fuel consumption, resulting in 15% less carbon emissions, compared to GE’s CF6 engine.

The engines feature new twin-annular pre-swirl (TAPS) combustor that significantly reduces NOx gases by as much as 55% below the current regulatory limits and other regulated gases as much as 90%.

GE Aviation president and chief executive officer David Joyce said: "Air France was the first operator of GE’s highly successful GE90-115B engine on the Boeing 777-300ER, and the GEnx engine based on the GE90 architecture will provide the same outstanding performance and reliability."


Image: General Electric GEnx engine at the Paris Air Show 2009. Photo: courtesy of Georges Seguin.

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