Domestic carrier Akasa Air and engine maker CFM International on Friday announced an agreement, under which Akasa Air will purchase over 300 CFM LEAP-1B engines for its 150 Boeing 737 MAX airplanes.
The agreement also includes spare engines and a services contract, Akasa Air said in a statement. The airline, however, did not disclose the deal size. On January 18, Akasa Air had announced an order for 150 Boeing 737 Max planes.
The Mumbai-based air operator launched its operations in August 2022 and had previously ordered a total of 76 LEAP-1B-powered 737-8 aircraft. Currently, 22 of these planes are in service.
This new order grows CFM’s footprint in India, with more than 400 CFM-powered aircraft in service and 2,500 LEAP engines in the backlog, according to the statement. “Continuing to partner with CFM as our engine maintenance provider not only reaffirms our focus on operational reliability but equally underscores Akasa Air’s relentless pursuit of world-class safety,” Vinay Dube, founder and CEO of Akasa Air, said in a statement.
At present, both of CFM’s parent companies, GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines, have made investments in India to build facilities dedicated to ‘LEAP’ engine production and maintenance. They have also entered into strategic partnerships with Indian aerospace companies as part of the “Make in India” policy.
“Our customers, including Akasa, are seeing 15 to 20% better fuel efficiency with their LEAP-powered fleets and it has the highest reliability and daily utilisation rates in this thrust class,” said Gaël Méheust, president and CEO of CFM International.