First Engine To Achieve 50,000 Flight Hours Without A Shop Visit

German airline TUIfly and CFM International marked a new first-run time-on-wing world record set by a CFM56-7B engine powering one of the airlines Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 aircraft. The engine logged more than 50,000 hours without a shop visit. "This record is a remarkable achievement and we are delighted that the technical and flight operational assistance from TUIfly have made such a record possible.Here you can see what a first class engine, in conjunction with professional flight and maintenance operation, can achieve," said Friedrich Keppler, Managing Director TUIfly in a news release Wednesday.

The CFM56-7B engine was recently removed for LLP (life-limited part) replacement. Up until its removal, the engine was performing flawlessly and show very good EGT (exhaust gas temperature) margin. EGT margin is the primary indictor of an engine’s fuel efficiency. The airline has operated a CFM56-powered Boeing fleet exclusively for more than 24 years and currently operates a fleet of 40 CFM56-7B-powered aircraft.

"On behalf of the entire CFM Team, I extend my warmest congratulations to everyone at TUIfly for this remarkable achievement," said Jean-Paul Ebanga, president and CEO of CFM. "We believe we build the most reliable engines in the air, but we know thatit is our customers that keep them flying. What the TUIfly operations and maintenance teams have achieved with this engine is truly impressive."

TUIfly was able to keep the engine on wing through continuous diagnostics, which enabled the maintenance team to optimize the maintenance intervals for the engine. In addition, the airline implemented fuel-efficient, noise-optimized cockpit procedures, along with periodic engine washes, which extended the life of the engines and helped to reduce fuel consumption.

FMI: www.cfm56.com