DUBAI -- Etihad Airways today announced its selection of GE engines to power its order for 56 Boeing wide-body aircraft, which is part of an extensive fleet expansion for the airline. Etihad's order includes a commitment for 25 GE9X-powered Boeing 777X, 30 GEnx-1B-powered Boeing 787-10 and one GE90-115B-powered Boeing 777-200LR aircraft. The list price for these engines is valued at more than $3 billion.
Etihad Airways has also agreed to 15-year OnPointSM solution agreements to cover all the engines in this order. The OnPoint solution agreements are valued at $8 billion over the life of the contract.
"This order demonstrates Etihad Airways' commitment to operating one of the most technically advanced and fuel efficient fleets in the industry, now and in the future," said James Hogan, Etihad Airways' president and chief executive. "Our business succeeds by establishing long-term strategic partnerships to ensure we can offer our customers the best. This deal allows us to do that."
"We are honored Etihad has selected GE to play a significant role in the airline's expansion efforts," said David Joyce, president and chief executive officer of GE Aviation. "GE's wide-body engine strategy builds on the solid foundation that we began with our GE90 engines, was advanced with new technologies in the outstanding GEnx and will evolve further with the new GE9X engine, which will be the largest fan diameter and most fuel efficient engine GE has ever designed and manufactured."
Etihad becomes the first airline in the region to select the new GE9X-powered Boeing 777X aircraft and will be the largest GEnx-powered Boeing 787 Dreamliner operator in the world.
The GE9X engine for Boeing's 777X aircraft will be in the 100,000-pound thrust class with a 10 percent improvement in fuel burn over today's GE90-115B. Key features include: the industry's largest front fan, composite fan case and fourth-generation composite fan blades, highest pressure ratio compressor for any large GE engine, third-generation TAPS (twin annular pre-swirl) combustor for greater efficiency and low emissions, and ceramic matrix composite (CMC) material in the combustor and turbine.
The GEnx-1B engine is the best-selling engine on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The engine has accumulated more than 178,000 flight hours and more than 35,000 cycles since entering service in 2012. More than 900 GEnx-1B engines have been sold to more than 30 customers.
The GEnx engine family is the fastest-selling engine in GE Aviation history with more than 1,300 engines on order. Compared to GE's CF6 engine, the GEnx engine offers up to 15 percent better fuel consumption, which translates to 15 percent less CO2. The GEnx's innovative twin-annular pre-swirl (TAPS) combustor dramatically reduces NOx gases as much as 55 percent below today's regulatory limits and other regulated gases as much as 90 percent. Based on the ratio of decibels to pounds of thrust, the GEnx is the quietest engine GE produces due to the large, more efficient fan blades that operate at a slower tip speed, resulting in about 40 percent lower noise levels.
Revenue-sharing participants on the GEnx are IHI Corporation of Japan, GKN Aerospace Engine Systems of Sweden, MTU of Germany, TechSpace Aero of Belgium, Snecma (SAFRAN Group) of France and Samsung Techwin of Korea.
At 115,000 pounds of thrust, the GE90-115B engine includes such performance-enhancing features as three-dimensional aerodynamic (3-D aero) compressor and wide-chord, swept composite fan blades for greater efficiency. The dual annual combustor emits no more than 40 percent of the hydrocarbons allowed by today's international standards. More than 1,500 GE90-115B engines have been ordered by customers for their Boeing 777-300Ers, 777-200LR and 777 Freighters.
Snecma of France and IHI Corporation of Japan are revenue-sharing participants in the GE90 program.
The GEnx and GE90-115B engines are part of GE's "ecomagination" product portfolio—GE's commitment to implementing innovative, cost-effective technologies that enhance the customers' environmental and operating performance.
GE Aviation, an operating unit of GE (NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider of jet, turboprop and turboshaft engines, components and integrated systems for commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft. GE Aviation has a global service network to support these offerings.
SMOnPoint is a service mark of General Electric Company.