Press Release
In addition to British Airways, the GE90 has been ordered by China Southern, Continental, Saudia, Euralair, International Lease Finance Corporation, and Lauda Air in total engine orders exceeding $2.5 billion.
FAA certification marks the conclusion of GE Aircraft Engine's (GEAE) most stringent development and testing program ever. During ground testing, GEAE and revenue-sharing participants Snecma of France, FiatAvio of Italy, and Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries (IHI) of Japan subjected 13 GE90 engines to conditions much more extreme than any anticipated during normal revenue service operation.
In addition, GEAE conducted comprehensive engine flight testing of the GE90, which involved 228 flight hours on GE's specially modified Boeing 747 flying testbed, prior to testing on the Boeing 777 itself.
Having completed nearly 18,000 cycles before entry into service, the GE90 has undergone even more testing than GE's CF6 and CFM International's CFM56 engines, which have established themselves as the most reliable turbofan engines in commercial aviation.
Testing of the first GE90 growth engine, the GE90-92B, has begun at the GE Aircraft Engines outdoor test complex near Peebles, Ohio. Certification of the -92B engine is expected in May 1996. The baseline GE90-85 was certified at 84,700 pounds thrust in February of this year by the FAA. Joint Airworthiness Authority (JAA) and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) engine certification was granted in early November.
