2017 CFM orders surpass 3,300 engines

Orders for CFM International’s two product lines again achieved near-record levels in 2017, with the company booking orders for a total of 3,344 engines, including 474 CFM56 engines (commercial, military and spares) and 2,870 LEAP engines (including commitments and spares).

The LEAP engine has garnered more than 14,270 total engine orders and commitments (excluding options) at a value of more than $206 billion U.S. at list price since 2011.

Total CFM production remains at historic rates, with the company delivering a total of 1,444 CFM56 engines and 459 LEAP engines in 2017.

As the company continues the transition from CFM56 to LEAP production, the total number of CFM56 engines produced will continue to drop, with the full transition expected by the year 2020, at which time the company expects to be at a rate of more than 2,000 LEAP engines per year. CFM will continue to build CFM56 spare engines beyond 2020 to support the in-service fleet and plans to produce spare parts for the program until around the year 2045.

“We are very pleased with the results we achieved in 2017,” said Gaël Méheust, president and CEO of CFM International. “It was the second highest year for LEAP engine orders in the program’s history, and we are producing engines at a rate never before seen in commercial aviation. For 2018, our focus is to continue the successful LEAP production ramp-up while maintaining the level of quality our customers expect from CFM.”

More than 210 LEAP-1A and LEAP-1B-powered aircraft have entered service with a total of 33 operators on five continents. Overall, this fleet has logged more than 610,000 flight hours and 290,000 flight cycles in less than 18 months of commercial service.

Méheust adds, “The fleet is on track to reach the one-million flight hour milestone after less than two years of service, which is unprecedented for a new engine.”

CFM56 and LEAP engines are products of CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines.

GE photo