GE Aerospace Signs Agreements with SkyWest, China Airlines

GE Aerospace signed two agreements this week: The first is with SkyWest for GE Aerospace’s CF34-8E engines plus spares to power its order of 60 new Embraer 175 regional jets. The second is a multi-year service agreement with China Airlines that includes the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) of GE9X engines for its 14 new Boeing 777X aircraft.

SkyWest

The first SkyWest CF34-3B engine entered service in 1994, and since then has grown to become the single largest operator of CF34 engines and the largest regional aviation operator worldwide. The SkyWest fleet of all GE Aerospace engines includes more than 1,200 CF34-3B, -8C, and -8E engines.

“The CF34 engine has a long track record of success with SkyWest, exclusively powering their entire fleet of over 600 aircraft,” said Russell Stokes, President and CEO, Commercial Engines and Services, GE Aerospace. “This deal is the next chapter in our enduring relationship and highlights our continued success at providing our customers industry-leading products and services.”

Wade Steel, SkyWest’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “The CF34 is the workhorse of regional air travel with proven reliability and performance that has been critical to our success for many years. We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with GE Aerospace as we invest in modernizing and strengthening our fleet.”

China Airlines

Taiwan-based China Airlines has been a GE Aerospace customer since 1999.

“We are grateful that China Airlines selected GE Aerospace to service its new GE9X engines and for continuing to place their trust in our products and services,” Stokes said. “We will continue to work closely with them to support the GE9X’s entry into service and smooth operation of their 777X fleet.”

The GE9X engine offers 10% better specific fuel consumption than its predecessor, the GE90-115B, with emissions that are a generation ahead in technology.

Earlier this year, Ethiopian Airlines Group signed two agreements with GE Aerospace: The first agreement involves 11 GEnx engines powering its Boeing 787 fleet, increasing it from 19 to 30 aircraft. The second agreement reaffirms its previous order for GE9X engines to power eight Boeing 777-9 aircraft, with options for six additional aircraft powered by GE9X engines.

Both deals include a service agreement for the maintenance, repair, and overhaul of the GEnx and GE9X engines.

And Qatar Airways submitted the largest widebody engine order in GE Aerospace’s history during President Trump’s visit to Doha, Qatar: Over 400 engines will be supplied, including 60 GE9X engines, 260 GEnx engines, and additional options and spare units. The order, comprised of two separate deals, also includes maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) service agreements for the supplied engines.

Qatar Airways will install these engines on Boeing 777-9 and Boeing 787 aircraft, adding to previous orders of 188 GE9X engines and 124 GEnx engines. With these deals, the company increases its total to 248 GE9X engines and 384 GEnx engines, bolstering Qatar’s aviation industry through improved efficiency, performance, and availability.