EVENDALE, Ohio - As part of its long-term fleet planning process, Delta Air Lines has placed a $500 million order for CF6-80C2 engines to power a total of 31 firm Boeing 767 aircraft.
Delta, currently operating a fleet of about 40 767s powered by CF6-80A engines, will begin taking delivery of its 10 767-300ER (extended range) aircraft in 1998. The 21 Boeing 767-400 aircraft, a new stretched version of the 767-300ER, are to begin delivery in mid-2000.
The CF6-80C2 is rated at 52,500 to 61,500 pounds thrust and powers all models of new-generation wide-body aircraft. Nearly 2,800 CF6-80C2 engines have been ordered to power more than 1,000 firm and option aircraft.
Delta cited the CF6-80C2's proven reliability and low operating costs as key factors in its selection. To date, the engine has accumulated approximately 35 million flight hours, with a dispatch reliability rate of 99.94 percent. In addition, the engine's consistently low in-flight shutdown and shop visit rates are unparalleled in its thrust class. The CF6-80C2 also provides a significant specific fuel consumption advantage, demonstrating a 7 percent edge over the -80A, and consistently records the lowest levels of fuel burn with all three wide-body aircraft manufacturers.
Due to their extraordinary reliability records, the CF6-80A/C2 engines were the first in aviation history to receive FAA approval for 180-minute extended range, twin-engine operations (ETOPS) on the Boeing 767. ETOPS is defined as the number of minutes from a suitable airport a twin-engine aircraft can fly in the event that one engine becomes inoperable. This approval provides far greater route scheduling flexibility by enabling airlines to operate twin-engine aircraft on routes formerly reserved for three- and four-engine aircraft.