LONDON – Akasa Air & CFM have today signed a $4.5bn deal for LEAP-1B engines that will power the airline’s 72 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft that the airline ordered yesterday.
The deal will result in around 144 engines being added to CFM’s backlog in a heavily substantial deal for the engine manufacturer.
Commenting on the news was Philippe Couteaux, Executive VP of Sales & Marketing for CFM International:
“We are proud to develop a strong relationship with Akasa and play a key role in the launch of their operations by providing them with the industry-leading asset utilization, fuel efficiency, and overall cost of ownership,”
“On behalf of the entire team worldwide, it will be a great honor to help launch this new airline with the industry-leading support and reliability that has become a hallmark of CFM International.”
Also commenting on the news was Vinay Dube, the CEO of Akasa Air, who emphasized excitement over this engine order:
“We are extremely pleased to partner with CFM International as we embark on an exciting journey to launch the greenest, most affordable, and most dependable airline in India.”
“Our partnership with CFM will ensure that we adhere to the world’s highest standards of maintenance and deliver the industry’s best technical dispatch reliability.”
“The state-of-the-art, high-performance LEAP-1B engine will support our tech-driven culture by enabling real-time engine monitoring and predictive maintenance planning.”
“With this agreement, we now have the foundation to ensure the most competitive and reliable operations in our fast-growing market.”
The LEAP-1B engine entered service with the Boeing 737 MAX back in 2017, and since then, more than 600 aircraft have been delivered to 66 customers worldwide, accruing around 2.5 million engine flight hours so far.
