EVENDALE, Ohio - The fleet of GE90-powered Boeing 777 twinjets in service will more than double in size during 1998, growing from 26 aircraft to 60 aircraft.

The 34 new aircraft in 1998 will include first-time deliveries to four customers: International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC), Air France, Kuwait Airways, and Aeroflot Russian International Airlines, which will join current operators British Airways, China Southern Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines, and Lauda Air. In all, the GE90 is the engine of choice of 11 customers to power 137 firm and option 777 aircraft.

Approximately 30 percent of all 777 aircraft currently in service and on order are powered by GE90 engines; however, 42 percent of the newer, best-selling 777-200ER aircraft are powered by the GE90.

In 2-1/2 years of service, GE90 engines have logged more than 210,000 flight hours on the 777 and have maintained an industry-leading dispatch reliability rate of 99.96 percent. In addition, the GE90 delivers the lowest specific fuel consumption, the lowest noise levels, and the lowest total emissions-advantages derived from unique, value-added technologies, including composite fan blades, a 10-stage, high-pressure-ratio compressor, and a short, dual annular combustor.