LE BOURGET -- Brit Air has firmed up engine orders for six Bombardier CRJ1000 NextGen jetliners, powered by GE Aviation's CF34-8 engines. The order was initially announced by Bombardier in October 2008. The total aircraft and engine order is valued at approximately $300 million list price.
Brit Air, a wholly owned subsidiary of Air France, is one of four launch customers for the CRJ1000 NextGen aircraft program. The airline's fleet currently includes 15 Bombardier CRJ100 and 15 Bombardier CRJ700 regional jets, all powered by CF34 engines.
"We are very pleased that Brit Air is depending upon our highly reliable CF34 engines to power its new aircraft fleet," said David Joyce, President and CEO of GE Aviation. “This order demonstrates Brit Air's continuing commitment to GE's technologically advanced products."
The CRJ1000 will be offered with the CF34-8C5, -8C5A1, and -8C5A2 engine models. The -8C5A2, the latest version, is scheduled to enter revenue service in 2010. For the CRJ1000, the engines feature a new first-stage, high-pressure turbine nozzle and other enhancements for durability and is targeted to deliver up to 10 percent lower engine maintenance costs. The -8C5A2 will be rated at the same 14,510 pounds of thrust as the original -8C5, but with greater thrust capability at takeoff.
The CF34-8 family has more than 1,600 engines in service powering the Bombardier CRJ700 with the CF34-8C1 and -8C5B1 engines (13,800 pounds of thrust), the CRJ900 with the CF34-8C5 engine (14,500 pounds of thrust), and the EMBRAER 170/175 with the CF34-8E5 (14,500 pounds of thrust). The CF34-8C1 has incorporated technology from the -8C5 version to create a common engine for the CRJ700 and CRJ900. To date, 95 percent of the CRJ700 fleet is under contract for this upgrade.
Bombardier and GE worked together to help usher in the era of regional jet airliners in the early 1990s with the CRJ100 and CRJ200 50-seater aircraft, powered by the CF34-3. During this decade, the larger CRJ700 and CRJ900 aircraft entered service powered by the CF34-8C5 engine family. Today, more than 6,000 CF34 engines power Embraer E-Jets*, Bombardier CRJ** Series regional jets and Challenger** business jets.
GE Aviation, an operating unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider of commercial and military jet engines and components as well as integrated digital, electric power, and mechanical systems for aircraft. GE Aviation also has a global service network to support these offerings.
*Trademark of Embraer
**Trademarks of Bombardier or its subsidiaries.