NEW DELHI: IndiGo Monday at the ongoing Farnborough air show placed a record order for over 1,000 LEAP-1A engines for its 510 Airbus A320neo family of aircraft. This is the largest single order ever placed for LEAP engines and a record for CFM International. The MoU signed between IndiGo and CFM also proposes to have an engine maintenance repair overhaul (MRO) for the same in India, which will also ensure supply of spare parts for the airline as it grows its operations in coming years.Original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and airlines now don’t give deal size as the price varies from customer to customer depending on several factors. The list price of a LEAP 1A engine is about $14.5 million. So on list cost basis, the IndiGo order will be worth over $14.5 billion. The airline, which currently has a fleet of over 430 planes, has an order book of almost 1,000 aircraft that are to be delivered over a decade. It plans to double its fleet by 2030.IndiGo CEO-designate Willie Walsh said: “As IndiGo embarks on its next phase of growth towards becoming a truly global airline, we are delighted to extend our long-standing partnership with CFM International for the engines powering future deliveries of our Airbus A320/321neo family aircraft fleet. CFM has been a trusted partner in our growth journey since 2016, supporting a fleet that now exceeds 375 A320/321 family aircraft. The LEAP engine’s industry-leading proven reliability makes it the ideal choice….”The engine OEMs are going to grow their presence in India thanks to massive orders from Indian carriers. India is CFM’s third-largest market, with five Indian carriers operating more than 400 LEAP-powered aircraft and have 2,000 engines on order.“IndiGo has trusted CFM to support its performance for a decade now…. LEAP engines are delivering up to twice the time on wing in hot and harsh operating environments than when they entered service, while continuing to provide fuel efficiency and reliability… GE Aerospace is also proud to build on more than 40 years of support for India’s aviation sector. With a strong installed base, manufacturing in Pune, a broad local supplier network, and advanced engineering in Bengaluru, we remain committed to supporting IndiGo’s growth and expanding our presence in India,” said H Lawrence Culp, Jr, chairman and CEO at GE Aerospace.Safran CEO Olivier Andriès said: “As one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets, India is of strategic importance to Safran. Through our continued investments in the country, particularly in LEAP engine production and MRO capabilities, we are strengthening our long-term commitment to supporting IndiGo’s remarkable growth and to contributing to the development of the Indian aerospace industry.”CFM is A 50/50 joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines.
