Loong Air and CFM Celebrate the First Anniversary

• LEAP-1A provides excellent operating performance for Loong Air
• Utilization has reached the level of mature fleet in just one year

HANGZHOU, China — June 4, 2019 — Zhejiang Loong Airlines and CFM International celebrate the first anniversary of the LEAP-1A powered A320neo’s smooth operation. As the launch customer in China, Loong Air’s first LEAP-1A-powered A320neo began revenue service in June 4, 2018. Over the past year, the engine has showcased an outstanding reliability record, which marks a good start to the LEAP-1A’s operation in China

“The LEAP-1A engine has worked very well in the past year and has completely fulfilled the commitment made by CFM,” said Liu Qihong, chairman of Zhejiang Loong Air.  “We are satisfied with its high utilization rate, high reliability, and excellent operating performance.”

The LEAP-1A-powered A320neo fleet in Loong Air has grown to 11 aircraft since June 2018.  With the joint efforts of the Loong Air and CFM teams, the Loong Air fleet has achieved 99.92% on-time dispatch reliability rate with zero in-flight shutdowns, zero aborted takeoff, and zero unscheduled removals, all with a daily utilization rate that rivals that of more mature fleets. 

 “We are very pleased with the highly successful introduction of the LEAP engine into airline fleets around the world,” said Gaël Méheust, president and CEO of CFM International. “And it has been an honor to be on this journey with Loong Air.  We look to more good things in the future and are excited to see LEAP engine’s promising growth trajectory in China.”

“This is another milestone in our long-term and strategic partnership with Loong Air, who operates a 100 percent CFM fleet” said Weiming Xiang, vice president of GE and president of Greater China for CFM parent company, GE Aviation. “We look forward to more LEAP-1A engines being delivered to China this year.”

To date, more than 80 LEAP-1A-powered A320neo aircraft have been delivered in greater China to five operators in the region.  The fleet has achieved an average daily utilization of 11.4 hours in the region.

The LEAP engine entered commercial service in 2016 and is providing its more than 100 operators worldwide 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 five million engine flight hours.