Edited by Deepali Verma’
During the state visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Bharat, Akasa Air and CFM International announced an agreement recently to purchase nearly 300 CFM LEAP-1B engines to power 150 Boeing 737 MAX aeroplanes. The agreement by Akasa Air, Bharat’s newest airline, further extended to spare engines and a service contract.
The Mumbai-based operator started its operations in August 2022 and it had earlier ordered a total of 76 LEAP-1B-powered 737-8 aircraft, of which 22 are currently in service. The carrier’s first commercial flight on August 7, 2022, to accommodate the growing civil aviation demand across Bharat.
“This important and long-term agreement is a testament to the confidence that CFM International has in Akasa Air. Continuing our partnership with CFM as our engine maintenance provider both reaffirms our focus on operational reliability and equally underscores Akasa Air’s relentless pursuit of world-class safety,” said Vinay Dube who is the founder and CEO of Akasa Air.
“Having CFM as our long-term engine maintenance provider can ensure our path to becoming one of the top 30 leading airlines in the world as this decade comes to its close,” he added.
This new order grows CFM’s footprint in Bharat having more than 400 CFM-powered aircraft in service along with 2,500 LEAP engines in the backlog.
CFM’s parent companies, namely GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines, have made significant investments in Bharat to construct state-of-the-art facilities dedicated to LEAP production and maintenance, while inking strategic partnerships with Bharatiya aerospace companies as part of the “Make in India” policy.
“Our customers, including Akasa, are witnessing 15 to 20 percent better fuel efficiency with their LEAP-powered fleets. It also comes with the highest reliability and daily utilisation rates in this thrust class,” said Gael Meheust, president and CEO of CFM International.
CFM International is a Franco-American aircraft engine manufacturer which is a joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines with its headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio.
“Today’s order will continue to carry these benefits to Akasa and make their continued growth possible and play a significant role in Bharat’s economic development,” Gael Meheust added.
The LEAP engine family records the fastest accumulation of flight hours in commercial aviation history, juggling more than 45 million engine flight hours and 18.7 million flight cycles. Upon entering service in 2016, the LEAP engine has enabled the operators to save more than 30 million tons of CO2 as compared to the same flights with previous-generation engines.
