VILLAROCHE, France – CFM International and easyJet today celebrated their successful 20 year partnership which has helped the airline make travel easy and affordable for passengers across Europe while reducing its impact on the environment.
The partnership is built on a shared commitment to progressively reduce the cost as well as the impact of flying and is exemplified by the innovative LEAP-1A engines that will power easyJet’s Airbus A320neos from 2017.
easyJet’s passengers’ carbon footprint is among the lowest in the industry at 81.05 grams CO2 per passenger kilometer. This has decreased by more than a quarter between 2001 and 2013 and the airline is already making good progress on its current target of a further 8% reduction between 2013 and 2020.
The LEAP-1A engine will play a major role in this reduction by delivering a 15% fuel efficiency improvement and CO2 emissions compared to the CFM56. NOx emissions will also meet the ICAO CAEP/8 regulations. The aircraft is also quieter and will comply with ICAO Chapter 14 regulations.
The engines are assembled at CFM's factory in Villaroche, France. Some 450 suppliers provide parts for the LEAP engines and in total, CFM estimates that the new engines support around 10,000 jobs in Europe and the US.
Carolyn McCall, easyJet CEO, Philippe Petitcolin, Safran CEO, Olivier Andriès, Snecma CEO, Jean-Paul Ebanga, CFM CEO and Patrick Gandil, the Director General of the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) were present at the event at the Snecma engine production facility near Paris.
Carolyn McCall, easyJet’s Chief Executive, said: “With over 760 engines delivered over the past two decades and almost 15 million engine hours flown easyJet and CFM have a deep and long term partnership.
“Our passengers across Europe share the benefits of the partnership as we provide them with easy and affordable travel while we reduce the impact of their journeys on the environment as well as the communities near our airports.
“As a European airline it is also good to have a European engine partner supporting sustainable employment in France and across Europe.
“Everyone at easyJet is really looking forward to the delivery of the first LEAP engine in 2017 to help power our partnership to greater heights.”
Jean-Paul Ebanga, president and CEO of CFM International, said: "It is a pleasure to be here today representing the CFM team as we celebrate our 20-year relationship with this fantastic airline. easyJet has helped establish a new benchmark for low-cost operations throughout Europe and has worked hard achieve its much-deserved reputation for quality.
“We are honored to work hand-in-glove with the team to support their CFM56-5B/A320ceo fleet today and look forward to introducing the new LEAP engine into this fleet next year."
easyJet has being using CFM engines since its first year and the airline’s fleet of over 240 Airbus A319/A320 aircraft are all powered by CFM56-5B engines making easyJet the world’s biggest operator of this type of engine. In July 2014, easyJet selected CFM to provide 270 engines to power its firm order of 35 Airbus A320ceo aircraft and 100 Airbus new generation A320neo aircraft, together with any future exercise of the 100 purchase rights over new generation aircraft.
easyJet invests in the latest technology, operates efficiently and fills most of its seats which means that an easyJet passenger's carbon footprint is 22% less than a passenger on a traditional airline, flying the same aircraft on the same route. easyJet recently unveiled its plans for a revolutionary zero emissions hydrogen fuel system for its aircraft which could save around 50,000 tonnes of fuel (approximately 4% of easyJet’s annual fuel consumption) and the associated CO2 emissions per year.
About easyJet:
easyJet is Europe’s leading airline offering a unique and winning combination of the best route network connecting Europe's primary airports, with great value fares and friendly service.
easyJet flies on more of Europe’s most popular routes than any other airline. easyJet carries over 68 million passengers annually, of which more than 12 million are travelling on business. easyJet flies over 240 aircraft on more than 8o0 routes to over 135 airports across 31 countries. More than 300 million Europeans live within one hour's drive of an easyJet airport.
easyJet aims to be a good corporate citizen, employing people on local contracts in seven countries across Europe in full compliance with national laws and recognizing their trade unions. The airline supports a number of local charities and also has a corporate partnership with UNICEF which has raised over £6m for the most vulnerable children since it was established in 2012.
The airline takes sustainability seriously. easyJet invests in the latest technology, operates efficiently and fills most of its seats which means that an easyJet passenger's carbon footprint is 22% less than a passenger on a traditional airline, flying the same aircraft on the same route.
Innovation is in easyJet’s DNA – from our launch almost 20 years ago when we changed the way people fly to the present day where we lead the industry in digital, web, engineering and operational innovations to make travel more easy and affordable for our passengers.
About CFM
CFM56 and LEAP engines are products of CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between Snecma (Safran) and GE. CFM is the world's leading supplier of commercial aircraft engines and the company has delivered more than 29,000 engines to date. The LEAP engine has become the preferred choice for next-generation single-aisle aircraft with more than 10,400 orders received through February 2016.