EVENDALE, OH - Air France-KLM selected the GEnx-1B engine to power its 25 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 12 leased 787 aircraft. The total engine order is valued at more than $1.7 billion (USD).
Air France-KLM and GE Aviation have also signed an agreement that will allow Air France-KLM to offer maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services for the GEnx-1B engine.
Under this agreement, Air France-KLM will be licensed to perform maintenance and overhaul work on the GEnx-1B engine and GE will provide technical support and assistance on overhaul workscoping and component repair licenses, comprehensive material support and training.
"GE's GEnx engines offer Air France-KLM several significant benefits, including lower fuel burn, low emissions and less noise," said Alexandre de Juniac, Chairman and CEO of Air France-KLM. "These attributes will help us lower our cost of ownership and reduce our footprint on the environment. Furthermore, this new partnership positions us as a major player in the maintenance of these new generation engines."
"Air France-KLM and GE have a strong history, and we are proud to power Air France-KLM's Boeing 787 fleet," said David Joyce, President and Chief Executive Officer at GE Aviation. "Air France was the first operator of GE's highly successful GE90-115B engine on the Boeing 777-300ER, and the GEnx engine based on the GE90 architecture will provide the same outstanding performance and reliability."
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.
The GEnx engine is part of GE's "ecomagination" product portfolio—GE's commitment to implementing innovative, cost-effective technologies that enhance the customers' environmental and operating performance.
Air France-KLM is one of the largest airline companies in Europe. The airline group carries more than 70 million passengers a year to more than 200 destinations around the world.
GE Aviation, an operating unit of GE (NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider of jet and turboprop engines, components and integrated systems for commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft. GE Aviation has a global service network to support these offerings.