China Eastern purchases $800-M V2500 engines

China Eastern Airlines has chosen the V2500 engine of IAE International Aero Engines to power its 30 Airbus A320 family aircraft in a deal valued at US$800 million. The agreement also has a long-term V2500SelectSM aftermarket agreement. “China Eastern Airlines has proven to be one of the success stories of the rapidly-growing Chinese aviation industry and everyone at IAE is delighted by this announcement. The technologically advanced V2500 has a market-leading fuel burn advantage and the overall lowest emissions which, coupled with the all-inclusive nature of V2500SelectSM, have proven to be the key factors in this decision,” said IAE president and CEO Jon Beatty. China Eastern Airlines has received the highest honor in flight safety in the Chinese aviation industry—the Golden Eagle Cup. The airline has also been granted official carrier status for the Shanghai Expo in 2010. The 22,000-33,000-lb thrust V2500-A5 is available in seven different thrust settings to power the Airbus A319, A320 and A321 family and the A319 Corporate Jet. IAE is a multinational aero engine consortium whose shareholders comprise Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, Japanese Aero Engines Corp. and MTU Aero Engines. More than 1,300 V2500-powered aircraft have been delivered and the worldwide fleet has accumulated over 40 million flying hours.