IndiGo places $20-bn order for LEAP 1-A engines

Budget carrier IndiGo on Monday placed an order for CFM International’s Leap-1A engines to power its future fleet of 280 narrow body aircraft. The order is valued at $20 billion at list price, making it the largest single engine order ever, the airline said in a statement. IndiGo, the largest domestic carrier, has been facing trouble with Pratt & Whitney (PW) engines for Airbus 320neo and A321neo aircraft.

The PW engines of A320 neos reported snags for last year due to which some of these planes operated by IndiGo and GoAir were grounded by the regulator. The delivery of the first LEAP-1A-powered A320neo is scheduled in 2020. IndiGo has an order book of 430 Airbus planes of the A320 neo family. The airline has been a CFM customer since 2016 and currently operates a fleet of 17 A320ceo aircraft powered by CFM56-5B engines. CFM International is a 50:50 joint company between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines.