GE Aviation achieved a major milestone today with the announcement that the FAA has certified their GE9X engine, which will power the twin-engine Boeing 777X Family of airliners. Testing involved eight engines which completed nearly 5,000 hours and 8,000 cycles.
On Monday (September 28, 2020), GE Aviation announced a major milestone as the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has certified their GE9X engine, which will power Boeing’s 777X Family of aircraft. The Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 33 certification involved eight test engines which completed nearly 5,000 hours of flight and 8,000 cycles. The certification is a culmination of GE Aviation’s commercial jet portfolio renewal which also includes the company’s GEnx engine for the 787 Dreamliner as well as the CFM LEAP engine. In Monday’s announcement, GE Aviation’s new President and CEO, John Slattery said,
“It takes the world’s best talent in jet propulsion to create a game-changing product like the GE9X engine. There is no substitute that can achieve the combination of size, power and fuel efficiency of the GE9X. This engine will deliver unsurpassed value and reliability to our airline customers. I want to congratulate the entire GE9X team and thank Boeing, our partners and suppliers for the collaboration on this incredible achievement.”
Prior to joining GE Aviation, Mr. Slattery held the top job at Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer. Also commenting on today’s announcement, GE Aviation’s Vice President of Commercial Engines Operation, Bill Fitzgerald, added,
“Just as the GE90 pioneered new technology for commercial aircraft engines more than 25 years ago on the Boeing 777, the GE9X sets the new standard for engine performance and efficiency thanks to the incorporation of GE’s most advanced technologies developed over the last decade.”
The company’s GE9X was designed to achieve 10 percent lower specific fuel consumption compared to the GE90-115B, and a five percent fuel consumption improvement and lower emissions than any other engine in its class. GE Aviation’s GE9X Program Manager, Karl Sheldon, also commented on the FAA certification, stating,
“This milestone has been accomplished thanks to the tremendous efforts of the GE9X team and our partners. The GE9X engine has been through a rigorous and thorough certification and testing process. We are pleased with the performance of the engine, which has been validated through extensive ground and flight testing. We are excited to deliver a mature, state-of-the-art product to operators around the world.”
Moving forward, GE Aviation's focus will be working with Boeing to complete the 777X test program and entry into service. To date, the company has delivered eight GE9X test engines and two spares to Seattle, powering Boeing’s four 777X test aircraft. GE Aviation has also assembled several production engines and is in the process of completing factory acceptance testing. The company is also conduction 3,000 additional ground testing cycles in support of extended operations (ETOPS) approval.
As of September 28, 2020, GE Aviation has received over 600 orders and commitments for GE9X engines. The program is a collaboration between GE Aviation and IHI Corporation, Safran Aircraft Engines, Safran Aero Boosters and MTU Aero Engines AG. CFM is a joint venture between GE Aviation and Safran Aircraft Engines with each partner holding 50 percent equity. GE Aviation is a unit of General Electric (NYSE: GE) and a leading global provider of jet and turboprop engines, components, integrated digital, avionics, electrical power and mechanical systems for commercial, business, military and general aviation aircraft.
Source: GE Aviation