Airline May Take As Many As 20 Dreamliners

In a deal valued at more than $240 million, Korean Air has selected the GEnx engine to power its order for 10 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, as well as its option for 10 more should the airline exercise it. Engine deliveries are set to begin in 2009.

"By any measure, Korean Air is a key global player in commercial aviation," said Scott Donnelly, President of GE - Aviation. "It is a both a world-leading passenger and cargo carrier, and GE is thrilled Korean Air has selected the GEnx, one of the fastest-selling jet engines in aviation."

General Electric representatives tell ANN that with the Korean Air selection, GEnx engines to date have been selected to power 94 firm Boeing 787 aircraft orders. In total, the new GEnx engine has been selected to power more than 220 aircraft -- valued at more than $6 billion.

"We are pleased to announce this milestone -- a renewed partnership with GE," said Yang Ho Cho, Chairman and CEO of Korean Air. "GE's proven reliability and efficiency, in addition to the cost advantages of the new engine, were exactly what Korean Air was seeking in our search for an engine supplier."

The composite-bladed GEnx is based on the architecture of the GE90. It will succeed the CF6 engine family, which is GE's most reliable and best-selling engine on wide-body aircraft. The GEnx is part of GE's "ecomagination" product portfolio -- GE's commitment to develop new, cost-effective technologies that enhance customers' environmental and operating performance.

The fan blades will utilize GE90 composite technology that has performed remarkably well on GE90 engines, with no in-service issues for almost a decade. The GEnx will operate with 18 fan blades (50 percent fewer than the CF6) at noise levels lower than any large GE commercial engine currently in service. The GEnx also features a new combustor for efficient fuel mixing before ignition, resulting in significantly lower NOx levels.

FMI: www.ge.com/aviation