easyJet has ordered an additional 54 CFM56-5B engines to power the 27 Airbus A320 ceo (current engine option) aircraft scheduled to begin delivery between 2015 and 2018. The aircraft order was previously announced; the airline is exercising 27 existing purchase rights. CFM values the firm engine order at more than $560 million at list price.
easyJet has been a CFM customer since 1995 and its entire fleet is powered by CFM56 engines, with the airline operating 226 CFM56-5B-powered A320-family aircraft. Earlier this year, the airline selected the advanced LEAP-1A for its new fleet for A320neo aircraft.
“We are pleased to further expand our CFM56 engine fleet and our relationship with CFM, " said Carolyn McCall, easyJet Chief Executive. “easyJet’s proven strategy continues to deliver significant returns for shareholders, and we are bringing new aircraft into the fleet as we continue to see a significant number of new profitable opportunities in our core markets in the near term and in order to maintain our cost advantage."
"CFM has a policy of continually investing in its products and it is gratifying to see the benefit of that investment make a difference in the long-term profitability of customers such as easyJet,” said Jean-Paul Ebanga, president and CEO of CFM.
All of easyJet's new engines will be the CFM56-5B Performance Improvement Package (PIP) configuration. The PIP became the new production configuration for the CFM56-5B in 2011. The improvements, which is providing a 0.5% improvement in fuel burn, include hardware changes to the core, including new high-pressure turbine blade, as well as manufacturing changes the fan and compressor blades and vanes to improve performance retention. The engine maintains the same noise signature as the current production engine and meets current International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Committee of Aviation Environmental Protection standards (CAEP /6) requirements.