• Air Travel and CFM further long-term cooperation
• Agreement applies entire LEAP-1A fleet, including spare engines.

ZHUHAI, China — Air Travel and CFM International today signed a 12-year LEAP-1A engine Rate per Flight Hour (RPFH) agreement at the 13th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition to support the smooth operation of its A320neo aircraft to be introduced in the future. The agreement, which includes the purchase of LEAP-1A spare engines, is valued at $992 million U.S. at list price.

Air Travel’s fleet is 100 percent powered by CFM engines. As of September 2021, Air Travel operates a fleet of 16 Airbus A320 series aircraft, with an average age of about 3 years.

RPFH agreements are part of CFM’s portfolio of flexible aftermarket support offerings. Under the terms of the agreement, CFM Services guarantees maintenance costs for the airlines' LEAP-1A engines on a dollar per engine flight hour basis.

Air Travel, based in Changsha, is the first local airline in Hunan Province and began operations on May 21, 2016. The airline also operates bases in Kunming, Nanjing, and Wuxi, and is focused on building an "Internet +" boutique service.

At the signing ceremony, Zhang Junsuo, CEO of Air Travel, said: "The high reliability and outstanding fuel efficiency of LEAP-1A engine provides a strong guarantee for us to cope with the challenges that are arising in the post-epidemic era and ensure our smooth operation. This is critical to Air Travel since we have just completed successful transformation. We believe that with the professional support of CFM International, Air Travel will create a safer, smoother, and more comfortable flight experience for more customers. "

"Air Travel has established a solid partnership with CFM from the beginning. In 2018, Air Travel initially purchased LEAP-1A engines for its 12 newly purchased A320neo aircraft. After transforming into the first local airline in Hunan, Air Travel selected LEAP-1A engine again for additional A320neo aircraft. The RPFH agreement signed today further expands and deepens the cooperative partnership between our two sides, and jointly contributes to the long-term prosperity and development of China's civil aviation industry. "

Weiming Xiang, president of CFM International Greater China

CFM International's LEAP engine reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 15% compared with its processor. It also greatly reduces noise, and provide higher utilization and reliability, longer on-wing time and lower maintenance cost.