EVENDALE, Ohio - Continental Airlines has selected GE Aircraft Engines to power 35 new wide-body aircraft in an engine order valued by GE at more than $600 million.
On June 10, Continental announced firm orders for five Boeing 777-200 aircraft and 30 Boeing 767-400ER aircraft. Continental has now selected the engines for those aircraft, with GE's CF6-80C2 engine powering the 30 767-400ER aircraft and the GE90 powering the five 777s. (Continental previously ordered five GE90-powered 777s, and their delivery has been accelerated as part of this order).
"We are very pleased with the performance, safety, reliability, and economics of these engines," said Greg Brenneman, president and chief operating officer at Continental. "We enjoy an excellent working relationship with GE and we look forward to equipping our new wide-body aircraft with GE's world-class powerplants."
The 10 new GE90-powered 777 aircraft will be delivered in September 1998 through May 1999; the 30 767-400ER aircraft will be delivered in mid-2000 through the end of 2004. Continental is a key GE customer, with nearly 320 aircraft in service or on order powered by engines produced by GE and CFM International, a 50/50 joint company of GE and Snecma of France.
The GE90 has demonstrated outstanding performance in its first 20 months of revenue service powering the Boeing 777, maintaining an industry-leading 99.97 percent dispatch reliability rate while providing noise, fuel burn, and emissions advantages. GE's best-selling CF6-80C2, the most reliable engine in its thrust class, was selected earlier this year for the launch of Boeing's new 767-400ER. In the 1990s, GE and CFM International have been selected to power the majority of all new airline aircraft ordered.