Malaysia Airlines finalizes $630M CFM LEAP-1B engine order

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) has finalized its order with CFM International for LEAP-1B engines to power 25 firm Boeing 737 MAX aircraft scheduled to begin delivery in 2019. The order, announced in late July, is valued at more than $630 million at list price.

The signing was witnessed by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia; Tan Sri Mohd Nor Mohd Yusof, chairman of Malaysia Airlines Berhad; and Jeff Immelt, chairman and CEO of General Electric (GE), parent company of CFM International – a 50/50 joint company between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines.

“We have been very happy with the CFM56-7B engines we operate and believe the new LEAP engine will bring even better operating economics in terms of fuel efficiency with the same reliability we have come to expect from CFM, “said Peter Bellew, group managing director and CEO of Malaysia Airlines.

Malaysia Airlines also has purchase rights for 25 additional LEAP-1B-powered Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The airline, a long-time CFM56 operator, currently has a fleet of 54 CFM56-7B-powered Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

The LEAP-1B engine, which is the sole powerplant for the Boeing 737 MAX family, incorporates a 3D woven carbon fiber composite fan blade and case; debris rejection system; fourth-generation 3D aerodynamics; commercial use of ceramic matrix composites (CMCs); combustor design featuring fuel nozzles grown using additive manufacturing; and light-weight titanium aluminide airfoils. The lower weight and higher durability of these components is expected to provide a 15% improvement in fuel efficiency, with an equivalent reduction in CO2 emissions; and a dramatically lower noise signature.

Source: CFM International