EVENDALE, Ohio - Jade Cargo International has selected GE's CF6-80C2 engines to power its six new Boeing 747-400ER freighters. The engine order is valued at more than $250 million. 

Jade Cargo International is a Chinese cargo carrier owned by Shenzhen Airlines, Lufthansa Cargo and DEG, a German bank. The company plans to launch operations next year with a route network that includes Asia, Europe and the Americas. The aircraft will begin delivery in 2006. 

GE's CF6 engine family has been the most reliable and best-selling commercial engine on wide-body aircraft. CF6 engines have flown more than 115 million hours, which is more than any other high-bypass turbofan engine family. The engine powers more than 10 models of wide-body aircraft. In recent years, the engine family has also played a major role in military aviation, powering transports, tankers and surveillance aircraft. 

GE-Aviation, a division of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), is one of the world's leading manufacturers of jet engines for civil and military aircraft. GE also is a global provider of maintenance and support services for operators of GE jet engines.