CFM International recorded a record year in 2011, logging orders for 1,500 commercial, military and spare CFM56 engines and commitments for 3,056 Leap engines for a combined value of $51.7 billion at list prices. Plans call for the Leap engine—chosen as the exclusive powerplant for the Boeing 737 MAX and one of the choices for both the A320neo and Comac C919 to enter service in 2016.

As the company logs record commitments with the boom in the narrowbody market, CFM is also achieving record production rates for the CFM56 product line. The company has built more than 1,000 engines per year since 2006, and the rate has grown steadily. In 2011, CFM delivered more than 1,300 engines—the highest rate in the industry—compared with 1,250 engines built in 2010.  Plans now call for CFM’s production rate to reach more than 1,600 CFM56s per year by 2014.

“Twenty-eleven was an outstanding year for CFM across the board,” said Jean-Paul Ebanga, president and CEO of CFM International. “By year end, we had solid orders for 1,500 CFM56 engines, which would make 2011 a good year in its own right. But we also received a significant number of Leap orders in the last six months of the year.

“We are expecting additional A320neo, 737 MAX, and C919 announcements in the next couple of months, so 2012 is already off to a very good start,” added Ebanga.

Total commitments for 3,056 Leap-1-A engines in 2011 equates to a value of $36.7 billion at list prices, according to CFM. Last year’s announcements totaled 930 engines for 465 A320neos, for a 53-percent share of that market. Customers included AirAsia, CIT Aerospace, Garuda Indonesia, Gecas, ILFC, Republic Airways, SAS and Virgin America.

For the Leap-1B-powered 737 MAX, CFM drew commitments covering 1,896 engines for 948 airplanes ordered by American Airlines, Aviation Capital Group, Lion Air, Southwest Airlines and nine unidentified customers.

Finally, the Leap-1C, the only engine so far identified to power China’s C919, drew orders from China Aircraft Leasing Corporation, Bank of Communication, ICBC Leasing and Sichuan Airlines.

Meanwhile, the 394 CFM56-5Bs sold accounted for 66 percent of all order content for the standard A320, while the company drew orders for 1,012 “sole source” CFM56-7Bs.  CFM also drew orders for 94 military engines and commercial spares. Air Lease Corporation, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Southwest Airlines, UTair and Virgin America comprised the customer base for CFM56s.