IAG places order for 110 CFM LEAP-1A engines

International Airlines Group (IAG), one of the world's largest airline groups, has selected CFM International's LEAP-1A engine to power a total of 55 Airbus A320neo family aircraft.  

CFM agreement includes spare engines and a long-term support agreement.  These aircraft, which are intended for operation at British Airways and Iberia and scheduled to begin delivery in 2018, are part of an order announced by IAG between 2014 and 2015.

To support the new LEAP-1A fleet, IAG has signed a Rate Per Flight Hour (RPFH) agreement, under the terms of which CFM will guarantee maintenance costs for a dollar per flight hour basis.  The advantage of this comprehensive agreement to IAG is more predictable maintenance costs over the life of the agreement.

Iberia has been an exclusive CFM operator on its single-aisle fleet for more than 30 years and British Airways has operated CFM56-3-powered Boeing Classic 737s and currently operates two CFM56-5B-powered Airbus A319 aircraft.

"We have a long history with IAG airlines through the CFM56 engine family and are delighted that we can now expand that relationship with the LEAP engine," said Gaël Méheust, president and CEO of CFM International.  "These airlines are some of the best-run in the world and we are confident they will appreciate the unmatched utilization and low overall cost of ownership these engines will provide.  The RPFH adds another level of predictability to the equation, and it all comes with CFM's legendary reliability."

The LEAP-1A engine entered commercial service in August 2016 and is providing its 14 operators with a 15 percent improvement in fuel efficiency, with an equivalent reduction in CO2 emissions; and lower noise and NOx emissions. To date, the fleet in service has logged more than 77,000 engine flight cycles and more than 145,000 engine flight hours while maintaining CFM's industry-leading reliability.