Commitments For High-Thrust Jet Engines And Services Reach $26 Billion

At Sunday’s opening day of the Dubai Air Show, GE Aviation received $26 billion in jet engine orders and services agreements for wide-body Boeing aircraft from three leading airlines in the Middle East. Collectively, Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad Airways ordered 450 of the new GE9X engine now under development for the new Boeing 777X.   GE also received orders for GEnx engines for the Boeing 787 and GE90 engines for the Boeing 777.

With the commitment by Emirates airlines for 150 Boeing 777X twin-engine aircraft, GE Aviation has secured its largest ever commercial jet engine award from an airline. Among the world’s fastest growing airlines, Emirates has committed to acquiring 300 GE9X engines for its new 777X fleet.  The agreement for the GE9X engines is worth more than $11 billion (USD) list price.
 
Emirates is already the world’s largest operator of the highly successful GE90-powered Boeing 777-300ERs, with a fleet of 135 aircraft.  Emirates Also operates the largest fleet of A380s powered by the GP7200 engine produced by the Engine Alliance, a joint company of GE Aviation and Pratt & Whitney. But the relationship between GE Aviation and Emirates over the past decade has extended beyond the delivery and support of jet engines.  GE has been integral to the construction of Emirates’ expanding engine overhaul capability both in the Middle East and Asia.
 
“We are pleased to expand upon our strong relationship with GE Aviation for this 777X aircraft order of great strategic importance to our airline,” said H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline & Group."

Selected earlier this year to power the Boeing 777X, the GE9X will feature several technology breakthroughs, including aviation’s largest-diameter front fan and highest pressure-ratio compressor, and unique ceramic matrix composite, hot-section components.

Etihad Airways selected GE engines to power its order for 56 Boeing wide-body aircraft. The order includes a commitment for 25 GE9X-powered Boeing 777X, 30 GEnx-1B-powered Boeing 787-10, and one GE90-115B-powered Boeing 777-200LR aircraft. The list price for these engines is valued at more than $3 billion. Etihad Airways has also agreed to 15-year OnPoint solution agreements to cover all the engines in this order. The OnPoint solution agreements are valued at $8 billion over the life of the contract.

Qatar Airways ordered 50 GE9X-powered Boeing 777X aircraft.  List price for these engines is valued at $3.8 billion. The GE9X engine for Boeing's 777X aircraft will be in the 100,000-pound thrust class with a 10 percent improvement in fuel burn over today's GE90-115B. Key features include: the industry’s largest front fan, composite fan case and fourth-generation composite fan blades, highest pressure ratio compressor for any large GE engine, third-generation TAPS (twin annular pre-swirl) combustor for greater efficiency and low emissions, and ceramic matrix composite (CMC) material in the combustor and turbine.

(GE9X engine cutaway image provided by GE)

FMI: www.geaviation.com