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The
delivery is a key milestone for 42-year-old CFM, an unusual
French-American venture which has survived decades of trade
tensions between the two countries but which now faces its
steepest ever challenge in raising production.
CFM has sold 10,000 of the engines which compete with United
Technologies <UTX.N> to provide power for an upgraded version of
the Airbus narrow body jet family and will also exclusively
power the competing airplane, the Boeing 737 MAX.
The CFM-powered version of the A320neo is expected to enter
service at mid-year with an unidentified airline.
Speaking at a handover ceremony for the first non-test version
of the engine in Toulouse, Safran engines chief Olivier Andries
said output was on target and that CFM would produce 100 LEAP
engines this year and 500 next year. The engine would be
introduced with six airlines this year.
CFM aims to produce a record 2,000 LEAP engines in 2020.
Andries paid tribute to CFM's founders: a German-born fighter
engineer who fought for the allies and was made a U.S. citizen
by an act of Congress, Gerhard Neumann, and a French resistance
hero called Rene Ravaud who lost an arm when the British bombed
Brest in western France.
The first Boeing 737 MAX made its maiden flight with LEAP-1B
engines in February. It is due to enter service next year.
The Airbus A320neo entered service with Pratt & Whitney <UTX.N>
engines in January but deliveries have been delayed by engine
software and hardware problems.
Airbus suffered a setback in February when the larger A321neo,
equipped with CFM engines, suffered a tail strike during testing
in February.
(Reporting by Tim Hepher, editing by Astrid Wendlandt and Elaine
Hardcastle)
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