EVENDALE, Ohio - Marking the successful end of a 17-month certification program by GE Aircraft Engines, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has certified the CF6-80E1A4 turbofan engine, the launch engine for Airbus Industrie's new A330-200 twinjet airliner, at 70,000 pounds of thrust.

First flight of the increased-range, 253-seat A330-200 is scheduled for this August, with aircraft certification targeted for March 1998. Plans call for delivery of the first A330-200 to launch customer International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) and entry into revenue service with Canada 3000 Airlines Ltd. in April 1998.

The CF6-80E1A4 is a growth derivative of the CF6-80E1A2 turbofan engine. Rated at 67,000 pounds thrust, the CF6-80E1A2 has established an outstanding record of reliable performance on the Airbus Industrie A330-300. After more than three years of service, the CF6-80E1A2 has an in-flight shutdown rate of zero and a dispatch reliability rate of 99.98 percent, based on the number of flights delayed for more than 15 minutes, or canceled, for an engine-caused reason.