Fifty years ago, GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines (then Snecma), formed CFM International, which has become the aircraft engine industry’s most successful joint venture.
On Tuesday (September 24, 2024), CFM International celebrated their 50th anniversary. The aero engine manufacturer was formed by GE Aerospace and Safran (then Snecma) in 1974, and has since become the world’s largest commercial aircraft engine supplier. CFM’s products have set the industry standard for reliability, durability, efficiency, and asset utilization. Half a century ago, the company was founded with the vision to develop a high-bypass turbofan that would offer substantial improvements in fuel efficiency, emissions and noise.
In Tuesday’s announcement, CFM International’s CEO, Gaël Méheust, said,
“Fifty years ago, two extraordinary men, Gerhard Neumann and René Ravaud, shared both a bold vision and the courage of their convictions that they could change the way that people fly. Today, we are celebrating the thousands of men and women, past and present, who made that vision a daily reality through their continuous commitment to customers around the world.
“CFM has accomplished much in the past 50 years, but we believe there is so much more that we can offer. Together, this extraordinary team will ensure that CFM remains the power of flight for the next 50 years and beyond.
“The work happening today on test rigs and with research partners around the world represents an unprecedented level of new technology development in CFM’s history. As CFM celebrates its 50th anniversary, we are acting on our clear ambition to make air transport more sustainable. With the RISE program, CFM will, once again, change the way that people fly.”
Initially, the two companies developed the CFM56 product line that would become the world’s best-selling commercial aircraft engine in aviation history. The CFM56 Family brought operators industry-leading reliability, fuel efficiency, a smaller noise footprint and reduced emissions, as well as lower overall costs of ownership.
In 2008, CFM launched the LEAP engine Family, which is setting new standards in fuel efficiency and utilization. Since August 2016, LEAP engines have amassed over 60 million flight hours and 26 million flight cycles. Compared to previous generation powerplants, LEAP engines deliver a 15-20 percent reduction if fuel use and emissions, as well as a substantially smaller noise footprint.
CFM Celebrates 50 Years of Powering the World's Commercial Aircraft - Courtesy CFM International
Through the company’s RISE program, first unveiled in 2021, CFM is advancing a suite of pioneering technologies, including advanced engine architectures such as Open Fan, Compact Core, and Hybrid Electric Systems, all to be compatible with 100 percent SAF. The RISE program’s aim is to further improve fuel efficiency, while reducing CO2 emissions by at least 20 percent compared to the most efficient commercial aircraft engines currently in service.
Source: CFM International
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