LE BOURGET, FRANCE — AirTran Airways has achieved TRUEngine status for 102 of the CFM56-7B engines powering the airline's fleet of Boeing 737-700 aircraft.
"AirTran Airways is very pleased to be part of this program," says Klaus Goersch, senior vice president, operations, for AirTran Airways. "We feel it is a great resource for the industry to know that our engines have been maintained to the exacting standards recommended by the original manufacturer."
AirTran has been a CFM customer since 2004 and has a fleet of more than 100 737-700s in service or on order.
"We have built a strong relationship with AirTran over the past five years and we are extremely pleased that they have elected to participate in the TRUEngine program," says Kevin McAllister, vice president of Sales for CFM. "We launched TRUEngine in 2008 to help the industry more accurately appraise used CFM56 engines. Since then, we have continued to add even more value to the program, something that we think can only benefit AirTran and our other customers going forward."
The TRUEngine designation is available to all CFM56 engines meeting the criteria. To qualify for TRUEngine status, the engine configuration, engine overhaul practices, spare parts, and repairs used to service the engine must be consistent with CFM requirements for that engine model. In addition, all maintenance must comply with CFM-issued engine manuals and other maintenance recommendations. The qualification data is obtained through a combination of fleet operational and maintenance records.
The TRUEngine designation also facilitates CFM's ability to provide technical support. Jet engines contain multiple, complex systems whose interactions must be carefully controlled. CFM's engine support is built upon technical expertise for genuine CFM56 parts and configurations, as well as data gained from the vast operational history of the global CFM56 engine population.
To date, more than 3,000 engines in service have been granted TRUEngine status. CFM is a 50/50 joint venture between Snecma (SAFRAN Group) and General Electric Company.
