LEAPING AHEAD

CFM International is on song. Since 1974, 50,000+ CFM56 and LEAP engines have been ordered. Till May 2022, more than 5,400 LEAP engines have been delivered and the company enjoys a 10,000+ order backlog for LEAP.

- JOSEPH NORONHA

THE STARS MUST HAVE BEEN PARTICULARLY FAVOURABLE that day in 1974 when CFM International, the 50/50 joint venture between GE Aviation of the United States and Safran Aircraft Engines (formerly Snecma) of France came into being. Negotiations on the proposed partnership between the two gigantic transatlantic engine manufacturers had dragged on a while, mainly because the US was reluctant to share critical dual-use technology with a foreign entity. But finally all hurdles were cleared and the marriage covenant was sealed. Since then CFM International has never looked back. Concentrating on just two turbofan engine families, both tailor-made to power the ubiquitous narrow-body twinjets, the company has cornered a commanding share of the market.

First off was the iconic CFM56. "CF" stands for GE's designation for commercial turbofan engines, while "M56" is the name of Snecma's original proposal. Over 35,500 CFM56 engines in several different commercial and military variants have been sold. No other engine comes close to this figure. Then, just as it began to seem that the CFM56's dominance might be threatened by the Pratt & Whitney PW1000G - a new and more fuel efficient turbofan - CFM International came up with the LEAP (Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion) engine.