CFM International’s new LEAP jet engine will power Boeing’s newest version of its 737 short-haul airliner, the 737NG. CFM International is a joint venture between U.S. firm GE Aviation and France-based Snecma. The engines are built at GE’s Evendale, Ohio facility.
The announcement that Boeing would re-spin it’s venerable 737 aircraft, rather than develop an all-new single aisle airliner, was not a surprise to industry insiders. Boeing’s main competitor in the world market, Airbus, had already announced similar plans for its comparable A320 aircraft. Airbus will also offer a new, more fuel efficient model of its popular airliner, called the A320neo, and also offer the CFM LEAP engine as an option to buyers. Boeing cites production issues similar to those experienced in the much-delayed 787 Dreamliner as a reason they decided against replacing the 737 with a new aircraft design at this time. Some analysts point to a recent large aircraft order by American Airlines as the main factor in the decision; developing a new aircraft, rather than re-engining the existing 737, would have almost certainly conceded the entire order to Airbus.