China Southern signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with GE Aviation November 2 at the 2016 Airshow China to select GE's GEnx-1B engines to power its 12 newly purchased and eight leased Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. The engine order is valued at $1.1 billion USD at list price. Delivery of these aircraft will begin in 2018.
"China Southern has been dedicated to offering eco-friendly and comfortable travel experience to passengers with advanced and reliable aircraft engines. Since the first delivery of the GEnx-1B-powered B787-8 aircraft in 2013, this fleet has been performing very well in our operation," said Li Tongbin, executive vice president and chief engineer of China Southern Airlines. "The GEnx-powered B787 Dreamliner fleet has given us great support in our business growth. Through our closer cooperation, the dispatch reliability of China Southern's fleet powered by GE engines have achieved top level of the world."
"We appreciate China Southern's continuous confidence in our products and service," said Chaker Chahrour, vice president and general manager of Global Sales and Marketing at GE Aviation. "China Southern and GE Aviation have enjoyed a long-term cooperation since the airline was the Asia launch customer for the GE90 engine on the Boeing 777 aircraft in the 1990s. Since then, we have been working together very well, and we look forward to our further collaboration for many years to come."
More than 1,600 GEnx-1B engines have been sold to 51 customers. Compared to GE's CF6 engine, the GEnx engine offers up to 15 percent better fuel efficiency, which translates to 15 percent less CO2. The GEnx's innovative twin-annular pre-swirl (TAPS) combustor dramatically reduces NOx gases as much as 55 percent below today's regulatory limits and other regulated gases as much as 90 percent. Based on the ratio of decibels to pounds of thrust, the GEnx is the quietest engine GE produces due to the large, more efficient fan blades that operate at slower tip speed, resulting in about 40 percent lower noise levels.
The GEnx is part of GE's "ecomagination" product portfolio - GE's business strategy to develop new, cost-effective technologies that enhance customers' environmental and operating performance.
GEnx's revenue-sharing participants are IHI Corporation of Japan, Volvo Aero of Sweden, MTU of Germany, TechSpace Aero (Safran) of Belgium, Safran Aircraft Engines of France and Samsung Techwin of Korea.
About China Southern
China Southern is the largest airline in terms of aircraft fleet size, the flight route network and volume of passenger traffic in China and currently operates more than 700 passenger aircraft and freighters, ranking the first in Asia and the 4th in the world (Data : IATA, in terms of fleet size). China Southern operates more than 2,000 daily flights to 208 destinations in 40 countries and regions. Through close cooperation with its SkyTeam partners, China Southern's global route network spans 1,062 destinations to 177 countries and regions and nearly every major world metropolis.The airline is a significant GE customer with a fleet including Boeing 777s, 737s and Airbus A320s powered respectively by GE and CFM International (a 50/50 joint company of GE and Safran Aircraft Engines). The airline will deploy the new 787s for its expanding international routes.
GE Aviation, an operating unit of GE (NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider of jet and turboprop engines, components, integrated digital, avionics, electrical power and mechanical systems for commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft. GE Aviation has a global service network to support these offerings and is part of the world's Digital Industrial Company with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. For more information, visit us at www.ge.com/aviation. Follow GE Aviation on Twitter at http://twitter.com/GEAviation and YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/GEAviation.
