Garuda Indonesia and CFM International announce partnership on providing LEAP-1B engines for the airline's 737 MAX fleet

JAKARTA - Garuda Indonesia and CFM International are pleased to announce the expansion of their long-term partnership, providing support for the airline's future fleet revitalization program. Under the arrangement announced at the 2015 Paris Air Show, Garuda Indonesia has committed to purchase 50 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, which will be powered by CFM LEAP-1B engines.

"We are proud to continue our long-standing relationship with CFM," said Arif Wibowo, President Director and Chief Executive Officer for Garuda Indonesia. "The Next-Generation 737 with CFM56-7B engines is the backbone of our current fleet and this order for the 737 MAX shows our continued commitment to providing our passengers with the most modern, fuel efficient aircraft/engine combination available today."

Garuda Indonesia is a long-time CFM customer and began operating the CFM56-3-powered Boeing 737-300 in the late 1990s. Today, the airline's fleet includes approximately 80 CFM-powered 737 aircraft in service or on order.

"We are pleased that Garuda Indonesia has continued to place its trust in CFM," said Max York, Regional General Manager of Sales for CFM International. "We have built a great relationship with this airline over the years and really look forward to introducing the LEAP engine into their fleet."

The LEAP engine promises to be the most advanced, reliable, fuel-efficient powerplant for the new generation of single-aisle aircraft. The engine incorporates many industry firsts, including the 3-D woven carbon fiber composite fan blade and case; the one-of-a-kind debris rejection system; fourth-generation 3-D aerodynamics; the first commercial use of ceramic matrix composites (CMCs); the revolutionary combustor design featuring fuel nozzles grown using additive manufacturing; and light-weight Titanium Aluminide airfoils. The lower weight and higher durability these components provide will result in a 15 percent improvement in fuel efficiency, with an equivalent reduction in CO2 emissions; a 50 percent margin to new emissions regulations; a dramatically lower noise signature; CFM's industry-leading reliability and low overall operating costs.

Garuda Indonesia announced in October 2014 the airline's intent to purchase 50 737 MAX 8 aircraft. The agreement is part of Garuda Indonesia's revitalization program in order to provide its passengers with the best possible experience with the youngest fleet in the sky and to support the airline's future plan to further expand its network globally.

The the economics of the 737 MAX 8 will help keep Garuda Indonesia competitive and bring a new level of service excellence for its customers. The 737 MAX incorporates the latest-technology CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets and other improvements to deliver the highest efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the single-aisle market.

The airline currently operates more than 90 Boeing airplanes, including Next-Generation versions of the 737, 777-300ERs and 747-400s.

sourced:traveldailynews.asia