Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) has selected CFM56-5B engines to power 20 new Airbus A320 family aircraft, in an order valued at $270 million at list price.

DAE is scheduled to begin taking delivery in early 2011. These 20 aircraft are part of a 70-aircraft order the leasing company announced in July 2008.

“We are excited to build on our previous order of 70 CFM56-7B powered B737NG aircraft, as we continue to achieve our vision of actively growing our world wide leasing business,” said Bob Genise, chief executive officer of DAE.

“We are delighted to be able to offer the unrivalled CFM56-5B for DAE’s A320 fleet,” said David Joyce, president and chief of CFM parent company GE Aviation.

All of DAE’s CFM56-5B engines are of the Tech Insertion configuration. This configuration was introduced in September 2007 and, to date, the fleet of over 800 engines in service worldwide has logged nearly 2 million flight hours and more than 1 million flight cycles without a single engine-related event.

CFM56 Tech Insertion provides operators with a 1 per cent improvement in fuel consumption over the life of the product, compared to the base CFM56-5B engine. This lower fuel consumption also significantly lowers CO2 emissions.

Improved analytic design tools have also enabled CFM to further optimise the Tech Insertion combustor such that it emits 25 per cent lower NOx emissions. As a result, the engine meets the current International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Committee of Aviation Environment Protection standards (CAEP /6) that took effect in early 2008.

Over the engine’s life cycle, Tech Insertion will also provide operators with longer time on wing and will lower maintenance costs between five and 12 per cent, depending on the thrust rating. These benefits are achieved through improvements to the high-pressure compressor and the high- and low-pressure turbines.

CFM56-5B engines are a product of CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between Snecma (Safran Group) and General Electric Company.-TradeArabia News Service