IndiGo, India’s largest airline and one of the world’s fastest-growing carriers, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CFM International for an agreement covering more than 1,000 LEAP-1A engines to power 510 Airbus A320neo family aircraft. According to the announcement, the agreement would represent the largest single order for LEAP engines and a record agreement for CFM International.
The MoU also includes CFM support for IndiGo’s upcoming engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility. The cooperation is designed to support IndiGo’s rapidly expanding fleet through a long-term material services agreement covering spare-parts supply, with the objective of supporting dispatch reliability, predictable maintenance costs and continued operational support as the airline expands.
Willie Walsh, Chief Executive Officer Designate, IndiGo, said the agreement builds on the airline’s long-standing relationship with CFM International as IndiGo enters its next phase of international growth. He noted that CFM has supported IndiGo since 2016 and that the airline’s fleet now exceeds 375 A320/321 family aircraft.
IndiGo began its relationship with CFM a decade ago with Airbus A320ceo family aircraft powered by CFM56-5B engines. In 2019, the airline expanded the partnership by selecting LEAP-1A engines for its Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft.
H. Lawrence Culp Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GE Aerospace, said IndiGo’s continued confidence in CFM reflects the performance of the LEAP engine. He also highlighted GE Aerospace’s more than four decades of involvement in India’s aviation sector, including manufacturing operations in Pune, a local supplier network and engineering capabilities in Bengaluru.
According to CFM, India is its third-largest market, with five Indian airlines operating more than 400 LEAP-powered aircraft and another 2,000 engines on order.
Olivier Andriès, Chief Executive Officer of Safran, said the agreement reflects the long-standing relationship between IndiGo and CFM and highlighted India’s strategic importance to Safran. He also pointed to continued investment in LEAP engine production and MRO capabilities in India.
The proposed agreement would further strengthen the relationship between IndiGo and CFM while supporting the airline’s expanding Airbus A320neo family fleet and its plans to develop additional engine MRO capability in India.
