CFM milestones in 2013
CFM International marked three major production milestones in 2013 with the ubiquitous CFM56 fleet: the company delivered its 25,000th CFM56 engine in May; in October, it delivered the 10,000th CFM56- 7B engine for the Boeing NextGeneration 737; and in December, the 8,500th CFM56- 5 engine was delivered for Airbus programmes.
“The continued success of the CFM56 programme is phenomenal, but so are the people behind the product,” said Jean-Paul Ebanga, president and CEO of CFM International. “In nearly 32 years of service - more than 25,000 CFM56 engines - we have never once delayed an aircraft delivery. It is an incredible record and we are very proud of what we have accomplished.
“However, we know that none of this means anything without the continued confidence airlines around the globe have shown in our products, selecting CFM56 engines to power more Airbus and Boeing single-aisle aircraft than any other engine in history. It is our greatest asset, and represents our greatest challenge. Each day, it is our job to assure each of these airlines that they have made the right choice.”
CFM continues to maintain the highest production rate in the industry. The company is on track to deliver approximately 1,500 CFM56 engines each year in both 2013 and 2014. Over the next few years, it will continue to ramp CFM56 production while simultaneously transitioning to the new LEAP engine family introduced in 2008.
There is a current backlog of more than 10,000 undelivered CFM56 and LEAP engines. By 2019, CFM anticipates a production rate of 1,700 engines per year. The company will continue to build both installed and spare CFM56-5B and CFM56-7B engines to meet demand as it moves to full LEAP production. Based on the size of the current CFM56 commercial fleet in services (18,000 engines), CFM expects to manufacture CFM56 spare parts at least until the year 2040.
CFM56 engines power the Airbus A318/A319/A320/A321, the A318 Elite and A319CJ, A320CJ, and A321CJ corporate jets and A340-200/-300 models and the Boeing Next-Generation 737600/-700/-800/-900/-900ER and BBJ airplanes. LEAP engines power the Airbus A320neo, Boeing 737 MAX, and COMAC C919 aircraft families.