Acropolis Aviation has
announced that its new Airbus ACJ320neo aircraft will be powered by CFM
International’s LEAP-1A engines.
The seven-year-old VIP
charter operator, based at Farnborough Airport, UK, with a complementary
sales office in Florida, USA, became launch customer for the ACJ320neo when
it signed an order with Airbus in May 2015, the same month the LEAP-1A
engine completed its maiden flight on the new model. Delivery of the
aircraft is scheduled to take place during the fourth quarter of 2018.
Acropolis’ flagship ACJ319
G-NOAH, is equipped with CFM56 engines.
Announcing the decision, CEO
of Acropolis Aviation, Jonathan
Bousfield said: “We’ve experienced
many years of ‘happy motoring’ with the CFM powerplant on board G-NOAH,
which we introduced to revenue service in 2010. Their worldwide support
network has been very important for our long and fruitful relationship with
CFM International and in our mind this is the superior engine for our next
Airbus. We look forward to benefitting from the increased efficiency the
LEAP-1A engine can offer.”
“We have had a great
relationship with Acropolis as a CFM56-5B customer and are delighted that
they have chosen to now introduce the LEAP-1A,” said
Cédric Goubet,
Executive Vice President of Commercial Engines for CFM parent company,
Safran Aircraft Engines, at today’s event. “Based on what we have seen with
the LEAP-1A engines already in service, we are highly confident that this
engine will deliver the quality, fuel efficiency, reliability and
environmental benefits that Acropolis has come to expect from CFM.“
Jointly certified by EASA and
US FAA, CFM International’s LEAP engines are in service with 12 operators
around the globe and are already delivering industry-leading reliability.
Together with Sharklets, LEAP-1A engines are already delivering a 15%
improvement in fuel consumption on the new A320neo airlinerfFamily, compared
with aircraft powered by today’s CFM56 engines.
Acropolis’ new Airbus
ACJ320neo will have a range of 6,000nm/11,100km, which means clients can fly
from London to Los Angeles or Tokyo direct and London to Sydney with one
refuelling stop. With cabin space of 1,033 sq ft, some 150 sq ft more than
in the ACJ319, the ACJ320neo will have capacity for 140 bags. It will also
have lower average cabin altitude of 6,400 ft for improved passenger
comfort.
Other new and improved
features of the LEAP-1A engine include fan blades which are manufactured
from 3D woven Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) carbon fibre composite, making
them lighter – CFM estimates 500lbs lighter per engine – yet increasingly
durable. The LEAP-1A engine entered commercial service with Turkey’s
scheduled carrier Pegasus Airlines on 2nd August, 2016.
|