EVENDALE, OH -- Korean Air has ordered five GEnx-2B-powered Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental passenger aircraft. The engine order is valued at more than $240 million list price.
This is the second airline customer for the GEnx-2B-powered Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental passenger aircraft with Lufthansa launching the aircraft with an order for 20 aircraft.
Certification testing continues on the GEnx-2B engine. To date, the engine has accumulated more than 2,300 hours and 3,900 cycles during ground testing and more than 240 hours during 45 flights on GE's flying testbed.
Optimized for the Boeing 747-8 aircraft, the GEnx-2B engine shares a common core and 80 percent of the line-replaceable units with the GEnx-1B, which will power Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. The GEnx is the fastest selling engine in GE's history with more than 1,200 engines on order.
Based on the proven architecture of the GE90, the GEnx engine will succeed GE's CF6 engine. Compared to the CF6 engine, the GEnx engine will offer 15 percent improved fuel efficiency, which translates to 15 percent less CO2. The engine achieves these improvements with aerodynamic advancements that enable higher pressures and improved energy extraction from a more compact core architecture that has significantly fewer parts.
The GEnx's innovative twin-annular pre-swirl, TAPS, combustor will dramatically reduce NOx gases as much as 60 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 will be the quietest engine GE has produced due to the large, more efficient fan blades that operate at a slower tip speed, resulting in about 30 percent lower noise levels. The GEnx will be the world's only jet engine with both a front fan case and fan blades made of carbon fiber composites. Using the same material on the fan case and fan blades enables more precise thermal matching, further enhancing aerodynamic efficiency. Learn more about the GEnx engine by visiting: http://www.ge.com/news/genx_video.html.
IHI of Japan, Avio SpA. of Italy, Volvo Aero of Sweden, MTU of Germany, TechSpace Aero of Belgium, Snecma (SAFRAN Group) of France and Samsung Techwin of Korea are revenue-sharing participants in the GEnx program.
The GEnx is 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 a world-leading provider of commercial and military jet engines and components as well as avionics, electric power, and mechanical systems for aircraft. GE Aviation also has a global service network to support these offerings. For more information, visit us at www.ge.com/aviation.