Will Power All Five 787-8s

Aeromexico has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with General Electric Company for the purchase of GEnx engines for the Boeing 787-8 aircraft the carrier ordered earlier this week. Aeromexico will also lease three GEnx-powered 787-8 aircraft from International Lease Finance Corporation.

In addition, Aeromexico has signed an OnPoint Solutions agreement for the maintenance and overhaul of the GEnx fleet. The combined value of the engine purchase and services contract to GE is valued at more than $100 million.

"Aeromexico and GE have a strong relationship, and we look forward to working together as the airline becomes the launch customer in Latin America for GEnx-powered 787 aircraft," said Scott Donnelly, President and CEO of GE Aviation.

Mexico's largest airline, Aeromexico is a strong GE customer. By year-end, the airline will operate 32 Boeing 737-Next Generation aircraft, powered by CFM56-7 engines. CFM International is a 50/50 joint company between Snecma (Safran Group) and GE. More recently, Aeromexico began operating GE90-powered Boeing 777 aircraft.

"Aeromexico selected the GEnx engine because of its low cost of ownership, excellent fuel burn and payload benefits," said Andres Conesa, CEO of Aeromexico. "The GEnx-powered Boeing 787s will help our airline as we expand our network into Europe and Asia."

The GEnx is the best-selling engine for the Boeing 787. Selected for three new wide-body aircraft under development, the GEnx has orders exceeding 780 engines from 25 customers.

Based on the highly successful GE90 architecture, the GEnx engine will succeed GE's CF6 engine family, which is the most reliable and best-selling engine on wide-body aircraft. It provides significantly better specific fuel consumption and payload performance than GE's CF6 engines. Testing began earlier this year on the GEnx engine, with engine certification scheduled for 2007.

The GEnx engine is the world's only jet engine with both a front fan case and fan blades made of composites, which provide for greater engine durability, weight reduction and lower operating costs. The fan blades will utilize GE90 composite technology that has performed extremely well, with no routine on-wing maintenance required and no in-service issues for more than a decade.

The GEnx is part of GE's "ecomagination" product portfolio -- GE's commitment to develop new, cost-effective technologies that enhance customers' environmental and operating performance.

FMI: www.geae.com, www.aeromexico.com