Lion Group has chosen CFM International’s CFM56-5B engines to power 60 firm Airbus A320ceo aircraft, in a deal worth more than $1.2bn.

The Indonesian carrier announced the A320ceo aircraft order in March 2013, with deliveries expected to begin in mid-2014.

Lion Group founder and president director Rusdi Kirana said: "Our relationship with CFM has grown as our airline has grown and we know first-hand that these engines will provide a world-class combination of economic efficiency, reliability, and time on wing that will help realise our plans for continued growth."

"These new engines will provide a 0.5% reduction in fuel burn."

Lion Group’s new engines will feature CFM56-5B Performance Improvement Package (PIP) configuration, the new production configuration for the CFM56-5B.

These engines will provide a 0.5% reduction in fuel burn, and feature hardware changes to the core, including new high-pressure turbine blades.

Among other improvements in the engines are manufacturing changes to the fan, compressor blades and vanes to improve performance retention.

The engines maintain the same noise signature as the current production engine, in line with current International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Committee of Aviation Environmental Protection standards (CAEP /6).

CFM president and CEO Jean-Paul Ebanga said: "As we watch the explosive growth in commercial aviation in Asia, we are proud to be part of the Lion team as they help redefine the low-cost carrier model in this region."

Recently, Lion Group has been a CFM customer since 2000 and recently received its 100th CFM56-7B-powered Boeing 737 aircraft.

Defence Technology