Agreement to supply the airline with the 120 Airbus A320neo family of aircraft it ordered.
The first and biggest low-cost carrier in the Middle East and North Africa, Air Arabia, announced today a major development in its continuous effort to improve its fleet and operations. At the Dubai Airshow 2023, the airline announced that it has ordered 240 CFM LEAP-1A engines to power its existing order of 120 Airbus A320neo family aircraft, including the brand-new A321XLR. Senior executives from CFM and Air Arabia were present at the signing ceremony.
The agreement will help Air Arabia expand its fleet and grow going forward. The 120 Airbus A32-neo family aircraft that Air Arabia currently has on order—73 A320neo, 27 A321neo, and 20 A321XLR aircraft—will be powered by the cutting-edge LEAP-1A engines when they are delivered in 2025.
When Air Arabia began operating in 2003 with an Airbus A320 powered by a CFM56-5B, the airline became a CFM customer. Currently, the company has 71 Airbus A320ceo and A321 neo-LR aircraft in total fleet operation.
Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia said, “The efficiency and performance of the CFM engine will play a crucial role in supporting our fleet expansion strategy, which includes most efficient fuel consumption and minimizing the environmental footprint. This investment underscores our unwavering commitment to achieving higher levels of operational efficiency, maintaining reliability, and actively contributing to a more sustainable aviation industry. We are delighted to expand our partnership with CFM International. This engine order marks a significant milestone in Air Arabia’s journey of growth and advancement. The efficiency and performance of the CFM engine will play a crucial role in supporting our fleet expansion strategy which includes most efficient fuel consumption and minimizing the environmental footprint. This investment underscores our unwavering commitment to achieving higher levels of operational efficiency, maintaining reliability, and actively contributing to a more sustainable aviation industry.”
“We are honored to further expand our longstanding partnership with Air Arabia through today’s order of 240 engines,” said Gaël Méheust, president & CEO of CFM International. “This renewed trust is a valuable recognition of LEAP engine performance. We are looking forward to introducing the LEAP into their fleet and to supporting the region with our unmatched capability.”
The LEAP engine family has the fastest accumulations of flight hours in commercial aviation history, amassing more than 40 million engine flight hours and 18 million flight cycles.
As the airline completes 20 years of successful operations, Air Arabia continues to drive industry standards while maintaining its operations excellence and customer experience. This engine acquisition is a testament to the airline’s dedication to innovation and excellence in the low-cost industry.
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The advanced CFM LEAP engine family provides 15 to 20 percent better fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions, as well as a significant improvement in noise compared to previous generation engines. Since its entry into service in 2016, the LEAP engine allowed our customers to save more than 28 million tons of CO2.
