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Orders For GE CF34 Engines Could Exceed $2 Billion

June 09, 2000

EVENDALE, OHIO - June 9 - GE CF34 engines will power as many as 450 regional jet aircraft ordered this week by GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), including 150 firm aircraft with CF34 engines valued at more than $750 million.

GECAS has signed purchase agreements with three aircraft manufacturers. All aircraft are powered by GE CF34 engines. The potential value of the engine orders to GE Aircraft Engines, manufacturer of the CF34 engine family, could exceed $2 billion. The GECAS orders are:

Bombardier Aerospace. Up to 150 CRJTM aircraft, involving 50 firm orders, plus 100 options. The firm aircraft are 15 CRJ200s, 25 CRJ700s, and 10 CRJ900s. CRJ900 orders are subject to formal program launch and are convertible to other CRJ variants. Firm aircraft deliveries begin in 2002.

Fairchild Dornier. Up to 150 728JET regional aircraft, including 50 firm and up to 100 options. The 70- to 85-seat 728JET is the first member of a new family of Fairchild Dornier regional airliners. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2003.

Embraer. Up to 150 ERJ aircraft, including 50 firm orders for the 70-seat ERJ 170, and options for up to 100 aircraft, comprising ERJ 170 and ERJ 190 models.

GECAS is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, with offices in Miami, Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing, Vienna, and Shannon, Ireland. It serves 155 customers in 54 countries.

In the early 1990s, GE's CF34-3 engines helped to launch the regional jet market by powering Bombardier CRJ100 and CRJ200 aircraft. The success of these aircraft contributed significantly to today's dramatically growing regional jet marketplace.

The CF34-8 engines, rated in the 14,000 pound thrust class, and the CF34-10 engines, rated in the 18,000 pound thrust class, are more powerful members of the CF34 family.

The CF34-8C1 earned U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification ahead of schedule last November and JAA validation on May 30. The CF34-8C engine powers Bombardier's new 70-passenger CRJ700 airliner and the CF34-8C5 has been selected for the CRJ900.

The CF34-8D powers Fairchild Dornier's 728JET and 55-passenger 528JET regional airliners, while the CF34-10D will power the new 90- to 98-passenger 928JET. First CF34-8D testing is scheduled for the third quarter of this year, with 728JET first flight scheduled for first quarter 2001.

The CF34-8E and CF34-10E are the exclusive engines for, respectively, Embraer's ERJ 170 and ERJ 190. CF34-8E engine testing is scheduled to begin in the second quarter 2001, with FAA engine certification targeted for the second quarter 2002. First flight of the ERJ 170 is scheduled for the third quarter 2001.

Almost 2,200 CF34 engines for regional jet aircraft have been delivered or are on firm order. In addition, more than 2,500 CF34 engines are on option order.

TM CRJ is a trademark of Bombardier Inc.