Air New Zealand has chosen the GEnx-1B engine to power its eight Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner aircraft (it has an option for up to 20 aircraft).
The airline announced the order at a ceremony in Auckland, New Zealand.
The firm engine order is valued at more than $480 million (list price), with aircraft deliveries scheduled to begin in 2022.
Air New Zealand and GE also agreed to a multi-year agreement to cover the maintenance, repair and overhaul of the GEnx engines.
GE Aviation (
www.geaviation.com) has sold more than 2,500 GEnx engines since the launch 15 years ago, making the GEnx the fastest-selling high-thrust engine in the company’s history.
Featuring the highest-pressure-ratio compressor in commercial service today, the engine offers the best fuel efficiency in its thrust class, allowing it to power the longest Boeing 787 routes.
The GEnx’s lean-burning twin-annular pre-swirl combustor significantly reduces NOx and other regulated gases below current regulatory limits and enhances durability. It is also the world’s first commercial engine with both a carbon-fibre composite front fan case and fan blades.
Indeed, compared with previous engine technology, the GEnx fan module is lighter in weight, corrosion-resistant, requires less line maintenance and offers improved reliability; it is also the quietest engine that GE produces.
GEnx’s revenue-sharing participants are IHI Corporation (Japan), GKN Aerospace Engine Systems (UK), MTU (Germany), TechSpace Aero (Safran — Belgium), Safran Aircraft Engines (France) and Samsung Techwin (Korea).