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ILFC Selects GE - Aviation Engines to Power New Boeing Aircraft

July 18, 2006

FARNBOROUGH -- International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) has selected the GEnx and GE90 engines to power its new Boeing 787 and 777 fleets. The value of the engines ordered is more than $750 million. 

The aircraft leasing company has ordered GEnx engines for up to 24 Boeing 787 aircraft, including firm and options. The GEnx is a best-selling engine for new wide-body aircraft, with orders exceeding 600 engines. 

In addition, ILFC has ordered six GE90-115B-powered Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and two GE90-94B-powered 777-200ER aircraft. 

Delivery of the 777s is scheduled to begin this year, with the 787 deliveries to begin in 2010. 

The GEnx is based on the highly successful GE90 architecture. It will succeed GE's CF6 engine family, which is the most reliable and best-selling engine on wide-body aircraft. It provides significantly better specific fuel consumption and payload performance than GE's CF6 engines. Testing began earlier this year on the GEnx engine, with engine certification scheduled for 2007. 

The GEnx engine is the world's only jet engine with both a front fan case and fan blades made of composites, which provide for greater engine durability, weight reduction and lower operating costs. The fan blades will utilize GE90 composite technology that has performed well, with no routine on-wing maintenance required and no in-service issue for more than a decade. The GEnx will operate with 18 fan blades (50 percent fewer than the CF6) at noise levels lower than any large GE commercial engine. The GEnx also features a new combustor for efficient fuel mixing before ignition, resulting in significantly lower oxides of nitrogen (Nox) levels. 

The GE90-115B is certified at an unprecedented 115,000 pounds (512 kN) thrust as the powerplant for Boeing's 777-300ER, 777-200LR, and the upcoming 777 freighter. The high-thrust engine has achieved one of the best entries into airline service for a jet engine powering wide-body aircraft. 

The GE90-94B engine, which powers the 777-200 and 777-200ER aircraft, has an outstanding in-flight shutdown rate of 0.0014 per 1000 engine flight-hours, well below the current 180-minute ETOPS requirement of 0.020 per 1000 engine flight-hours. With this level of performance, the GE90-94B engine has set a high standard of performance for high-thrust engines. 

Snecma of France, Avio S.p.A. of Italy, and IHI of Japan are revenue-sharing participants in the GE90 program. 

The GEnx and GE90 are part of GE's "ecomagination" product portfolio--GE's commitment to develop new, cost-effective technologies that enhance customers' environmental and operating performance. 

GE - Aviation, an operating unit 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 world-leading provider of maintenance and support services for jet engines.