The Paris Airshow has not just seen deals for aircraft, but also for engine makers. Pratt & Whitney, CFM, General Electric, and Rolls-Royce all announced engine orders and service agreements during the week. A recap.
General Electric
GE Aerospace announced a firm contract with Riyadh Air for ninety GEnx-1B engines that will power the start-up’s Boeing 787-9 fleet. The first of 39 aircraft on firm order is to be delivered in 2025. The selection of the GEnx makes perfect sense from a commonality point of view, as the engines also power Saudia’s Dreamliner fleet. While two different airlines, there could be synergies in what Saudia and Riyadh Air do operationally.
A release with the announcement was issued late afternoon on Wednesday, only to be revoked a few minutes later and re-issued again with some minor changes 37 minutes later.
Also on Wednesday was the order from Republic Airways for 37 more CF-34-8E engines that power 214 of their Embraer E170s and E175s. This includes spares and the TrueChoice services agreement.
CFM International
CFM International got an order from UK leisure airline Jet2 on Monday to power 71 Airbus A320neo family aircraft with the LEAP-1A. This includes spare engines and long-term service agreements. Deliveries start in 2028.
On Wednesday, the engine maker signed a contract with lessor Avolon to power the forty Boeing MAX 8s that were ordered a day earlier. Deliveries of the eighty LEAP-1B engines is scheduled between 2027 and 2030. The order brings the number of aircraft with CFM engines to which Avolon is committed to over 400.
Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce welcomed Air Niugini as a new customer for the Trent 1000 after the airline announced an order for two Boeing 787-9s in May. The contract includes the Total Care long-term service agreement for the four engines.
Rolls signed two more Total Care service agreements in Paris. On Monday, it extended the existing contracts with Egyptair and Tunis Air for the Trent 700 engines that power the two airlines’ Airbus A330s.
The UK engine maker welcomed the Memorandum of Understanding of lessor Avolon for twenty Airbus A330-900s. These are powered by the Trent 7000. The agreement will be finalized at a later date.
Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney reported the most and biggest engine deals during the week, which it kicked off on Sunday. It signed United Airlines for seventy Airbus A321neo’s and fifty A321XLRs that the airline ordered last year. With the first deliveries scheduled for later this year, the contract must have been concluded some time ago but has only been revealed now.
On Monday. Mexico’s Volaris signed a contract for Geared Turbofan engines to power 64 Airbus A321neo’s that also covers EngineWise service agreements. Volaris now has commitments for 217 GTF-powered Airbus aircraft.
Croatia Airlines finalized the purchase and aftermarket EngineWise service agreement for the six Airbus A220s it will purchase, plus another nine that the carrier will lease from Air Lease Corporation. The airline will take delivery of the first A220 in Q2 2024.
On Wednesday, P&W concluded an EngineWise contract with German leisure airline Condor (main picture) for thirteen Airbus A320neo’s and eighteen A321neo’s. The news was followed the same day by an MoU with Hong Kong-based lessor CALC for engines and service contracts for ten Airbus A320neo family aircraft plus options on another fifty. Pratt & Whitney said on Wednesday that it has secured orders for 800 GTF engines since the start of 2023.
