GE Receives Commitments For 400 Units

The GE90 engine experienced its most successful year in 2011, accumulating airline and freighter operator commitments for 400 engines with a list price of more than $11 billion. This surpasses the previous record of 250 engine commitments in 2007.

This year included a record-setting Emirates' order for 50 Boeing 777s, powered by GE90-115B engines, announced at the Dubai Air Show in November.
 
"The Boeing 777 and GE90 engine combination is growing in popularity with customers worldwide and is the best-selling aircraft-engine combination in its class,"said Bill Millhaem, general manager of the GE90 Program at GE Aviation. "Total orders for the GE90 engine family now exceed 2,000 engines with a backlog of 800 engines that will be delivered in the next four years."

The 200 aircraft commitments announced in 2001 are for GE90-powered Boeing 777-300ERs and Freighters.

The production rate for the GE90 is growing, with plans to produce more than 180 GE90 engines in 2012 up from 170 engines in 2011. The production rate is expected to climb to 225 engines in 2014.

Launched on the 777, the GE90 featured several technology "firsts"-- including carbon-fiber composite fan blades.
 
As the Boeing 777 aircraft grew in size thus requiring higher thrust engines, customer demand for the GE90 soared. The GE90-115B engine, developed for the 777-300ER and 777-200LR, entered service in 2002 -- the best service entry for any large GE engine at that time. The engine has can in-flight shutdown rate (IFSD) of just 0.001, which means only one engine IFSD per one million engine flight-hours.

The GE90 formed the basis for the GEnx for the new Boeing 787 and provided the core hot section for the Engine Alliance GP7200 engine for the A380. The GE90 architecture also influenced the new CFM International+ LEAP engine, the best-selling engine for the Boeing 737 MAX, Airbus A320neo, and COMAC C919 aircraft.

FMI: www.geaviation.com