BEIJING - In December 1985, two Chinese airlines, Air China Southwest and China Eastern Yunnan, took delivery of their first Boeing 737s. These airplanes were powered by CFM International's CFM56-3 engines. CFM was a very young company and these were some of its first orders.

Since then, Greater China has become one of the largest and most important customer regions for CFM, with more than 50 airlines in the region ordering more than 3,900 CFM56 and LEAP engines to power more than 1,950 Airbus, Boeing, and COMAC aircraft.

In late 2009, the relationship was taken to a new level when the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) selected CFM's advanced LEAP-1C engine as the sole Western powerplant for the new C919 single-aircraft on schedule for roll out later in 2015.

"The relationship between CFM and the Chinese aviation industry has only deepened over time," said Jean-Paul Ebanga, president and CEO of CFM International. "We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to them for the great success that CFM has achieved. Both Air China Southwest and China Eastern Yunnan were willing to work with us in the early days. Today, our relationship goes well beyond customer and engine manufacturer. We are constantly finding new ways to strengthen those ties through a world-class supply chain and the continued successful development of the C919."

Since the first engines were delivered nearly 30 years ago, China has become an important supplier base for CFM's parent companies, GE and Snecma. In 2014, these companies purchased more than $500 million in engines parts, including the CFM56 product line, from Chinese manufacturers. The quality of these parts has been key to the ongoing success of the CFM product line.

CFM's Aero Engine Maintenance Training Center (AEMTC), located in the Civil Aviation Flight College, Guanghan City, has trained nearly 12,000 students since opening its doors in late 1996.

The training provided at AEMTC - a state-of-the-art 4,500 square meter facility with six engine shop bays and five classrooms - is equivalent to the training at the CFM centers in the United States, France, and India. All four centers are staffed with experienced instructors who facilitate exercises in the classroom and hands-on procedures in the engine shop. Each center also provides computer-based training, both self-paced and instructor-led.

To date, the CFM56 fleet worldwide has logged more than 740 million flight hours in service powering nearly 11,900 commercial and military aircraft worldwide as the most reliable engines in the air.

Source: CFM International