Biggest Airbus A320neo customer hands GE major engine order

The biggest customer for Airbus’s top-selling A320 narrow-body has chosen General Electric engines for a massive order, after pitting the conglomerate against its dominant US supplier, Pratt & Whitney. IndiGo, India’s largest airline, has selected CFM International Inc., a venture between GE and France’s Safran SA, to supply LEAP-1A engines for its fleet of 310 new Airbus A320-family aircraft, the carrier said Friday, without specifying the size of the deal. A CFM spokesman says it’s the largest single order for the company in terms of the number of engines, but declined to put a price tag. The deal is a surprise considering the global aviation industry has been paralyzed by the pandemic. India had the world’s fastest-growing aviation market for several years before demand started to falter and Covid-19 shut borders and diminished international travel. The order is a blow to Pratt, which is owned by Raytheon Technologies Corp. After spending $10b to develop a new engine for narrowbody jets, it’s faced delivery delays and multiple issues leading to midair shutdowns. IndiGo decided to switch away from its engines in 2019, placing a $20b order with rival CFM.<br/>