CFM International and American Airlines confirmed that the carrier will select CFM LEAP-1A engines for the 000 Airbus A321neo jets that have yet to be delivered from an order placed in March 2024. The LEAP-1A is one option for the twin-engine A321neo, the other being Pratt & Whitney’s PW1100-JM engine.
With a reported value of $14.5 million per engine, American’s commitment could be worth almost $4.5 billion to CFM, the joint venture of GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines. The two partners manufacture the engines under license from their venture.
American currently has 84 A321neo aircraft in service and five A321XLRs, the extended-range variant of the narrow-body jet series, all fitted with two LEAP-1As. It has orders in place for a further 120 A321neos and 35 A321XLRs through 2032, as well as options to purchase 116 more A320neo series jets. All these would be powered by LEAP-1A engines.
“American is proud to operate more CFM/GE Aerospace powered mainline and regional aircraft than any other airline in the world, and American’s aircraft have flown with GE Aerospace technology for almost a century. We are excited that CFM LEAP engines will power our next phase of A321neo deliveries,” stated the airline’s CEO, Robert Isom.
The LEAP-1A engine is a variant of the high-bypass turbofan engine developed by CFM as a successor to its CFM56 engine, with 15% greater fuel efficiency and 15% percent lower carbon emissions than the earlier engine.
In a February call with analysts, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury made public the manufacturer’s frustration with late engine deliveries from Pratt & Whitney. He indicated the supplier did not fulfill its delivery commitments in 2025 and is not expected to do so in 2026, causing Airbus to reduce its delivery forecast for this year. “We see shortages of engines from Pratt & Whitney not matching our needs nor our orders,” Faury said.
