NEW DELHI. The US Federal Aviation Administration and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency have certified the updated high-pressure turbine (HPT) hardware durability kit for the CFM LEAP-1A engines that power Airbus A320neo family aircraft. The durability kit was designed to increase time on wing, especially in hot and harsh environments, and includes the HPT stage 1 blade, HPT stage 1 nozzle, and forward inner nozzle support.
“This new hardware is fulfilling our promise to ensure that LEAP-1A engines achieve the same level of maturity, durability, and time on wing that our customers have enjoyed with the CFM56 product line,” said Gaël Méheust, president and chief executive officer at CFM International.
To ensure that the improvements would address durability challenges in harsh environments, CFM worked with a team of geologists to engineer dust that mimicked what engines experience in these environments around the world. Using a proprietary dust ingestion system, the company was able to replicate HPT blade wear that operators were seeing in the field. This innovative system allowed CFM to design, test, and validate improvements to increase the durability and time on wing of these parts.
“Engine reliability and durability are of the utmost importance to airlines in India,” said Cyril Catherine, vice president of sales, India & Asia Pacific at Safran Aircraft Engines. “Our latest generation LEAP engines already offer high efficiency and reliability, and low noise and emissions. With today’s improvements, we’re addressing our customers’ expectations for longer time between overhauls.”
“Airlines like Air India and IndiGo rely on CFM LEAP-1A engines to power most of their Airbus A320neo family aircraft,” said Vikram Rai, chief executive officer, South Asia at GE Aerospace. “The more durable hardware certified today reflects our commitment to delivering engines and services that support high asset availability and aircraft utilisation.”
The CFM LEAP engine family delivers 15 to 20 percent lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, as well as a significant improvement in noise, compared to previous generation engines. With more than 3,500 LEAP-powered aircraft in service, the engine has allowed CFM customers to avoid more than 40 million tons of CO2 emissions.* The engine has been the most successful new product introduction in CFM’s 50-year history, with the fastest ramp-up of engine flight hours ever in the industry – surpassing 60 million hours in eight years.
*Compared to the same flights powered by CFM56 engines.
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