Air Arabia, the Middle East, and North Africa first and largest low-cost carrier operator, announced today a significant milestone in its ongoing commitment to enhancing its fleet and operations. Following a signing ceremony attended by senior executive from CFM and Air Arabia during Dubai Airshow 2023, the airline has announced the order for 240 CFM LEAP-1A engines to power its existing order of 120 Airbus A320neo family aircraft, including brand new A321XLR. The agreement includes a multi-year services agreement and spare engines.
The deal, with a total book value exceeding US $3.36 billion (listed price), will support Air Arabia’s fleet growth and future expansion. The state-of-the-art LEAP-1A engines are set to propel Air Arabia’s existing order of 120 Airbus A32-neo family aircraft, which is comprised of 73 A320neo, 27 A321neo and 20 A321XLR airplanes which are scheduled for delivery in 2025.
Air Arabia became a CFM customer in 2003 as the airline kicked off operations with a CFM56-5B-powered Airbus A320. The company currently operates a total fleet of 71 Airbus A320ceo and A321 neo-LR aircraft.
“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” said Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia. “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 Meheust, 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 30 million engine flight hours and 13 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.
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 20 million tons of CO2*.
*Compared to same flights powered by CFM56 engines.
