SINGAPORE — Royal Brunei Airlines, the national flagship carrier of Brunei Darussalam, has selected CFM International’s advanced LEAP-1A engine to power seven new Airbus A320neo aircraft scheduled to begin delivery later this year. The engine order is valued at $200 million U.S. at list price; the aircraft order was announced in 2014.
“It is a pleasure to welcome Royal Brunei as our newest LEAP customer,” said Gaël Méheust, president and CEO of CFM International. “We look forward to working closely with them to introduce the new LEAP engine into their fleet.”
“The LEAP-1A engine has some of the best fuel, noise, emission and operating efficiency in its class and will allow Royal Brunei Airlines to achieve significant cost savings”, said Karam Chand, CEO of Royal Brunei Airlines.
Mr. Chand added that the extended range of LEAP-powered A320neo provides RB with a lower risk option to open new medium-haul markets. “We are delighted to be part of the global efforts to reduce the carbon footprint and help preserve the pristine environment of Brunei Darussalam.”
The LEAP engine entered commercial service in August 2016 and is providing its more than 30 operators with a 15 percent improvement in fuel efficiency, with an equivalent reduction in CO2 emissions; and lower noise and NOx emissions. To date, the fleet in service has logged more than 290,000 engine flight cycles and 610,000 engine flight hours while maintaining CFM’s industry-leading reliability.
About Royal Brunei Airlines (RB):
RB currently operates a fleet of ten aircraft comprising, four B787-8 Dreamliners together with six A320 aircraft. RB will have eight new aircraft joining the fleet in 2018, making its fleet one of the youngest in Asia Pacific and allow RB to further develop its network to Seoul, Beijing and other Asian cities.
From its hub at Brunei International Airport, RB serves a number of regional and international destinations in Australia, South East Asia, China, Middle East and UK.
In 2014, RB received a distinction in the 2014 REBRAND 100® Global Awards which honor the most successful brand transformations worldwide. On November 9, 2015, RB was declared winner of the Travel Media Innovative Campaign and Content of the Year Award at the inauguration of the prestigious International Travel Media Awards in the United Kingdom. RB was announced as one of the Top 10 Most Loved Airlines in 2016 and Top 100 Airlines 2016 and 2017 by Skytrax. In November 2017, RB received a bronze award for Best Eastbound Long-Haul Airline by The British Travel Awards. For more information, contact us at [email protected] or visit us at www.flyroyalbrunei.com
About CFM International
The LEAP engine is a product of CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines. This engine has experienced the fastest order ramp up in commercial aviation history and CFM has received orders and commitments for a total of more than 14,270 LEAP engines across all three models through December 2017.