Airbus CEO upbeat on new engine technology, but says jury still out
Adds GE Aerospace comment, paragraphs 7-8
Airbus CEO says CFM deliveries still running late
GE Aerospace CEO Larry Culp highlights progress in addressing supply chain issues
Boeing seen skeptical about near-term viability of CFM's open-rotor technology
By Tim Hepher, David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, Sept 10 (Reuters) -The head of European planemaker Airbus AIR.PA said novel open-rotor technology being tested by engine maker CFM International offers promising efficiencies and reductions in emissions but the "jury is out" on whether it will be commercially viable.
Chief Executive Guillaume Faury also told reporters on the sidelines of the Global Aerospace Summit, hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, that deliveries of the current generation of LEAP engines built by CFM International continue to be late.
"They are late in their deliveries," he said.
CFM had no immediate comment.
In July, the world's largest planemaker issued a profit warning and lowered its target for airplane deliveries by 30 units to 770 aircraft, blaming supply-chain problems with items including engines and cabin interiors and notably LEAP delays.
Co-owned by GE Aerospace GE.N and France's Safran SAF.PA, CFM is the world's largest jet engine maker by volume of engines sold. Its LEAP engines power all Boeing 737 MAX jets and about half of the rival A320neos built by Airbus, where they compete for airline contracts with Pratt & Whitney RTX.N.
GE Aerospace CEO Larry Culp said the company was working closely with its top 15 suppliers where most shortages are located.
"We've made tremendous progress over the last six months going into these facilities, helping them identify and break constraints," he told the conference.
CFM, which this month celebrates its 50th anniversary, is testing a collection of technologies that could result in an open rotor engine whose main fan would be larger and more visible in order to grab more air and burn 20% less fuel.
Industry sources say Boeing is less enthusiastic about the near-term viability of aspects of the technologies in CFM's so-called RISE demonstrator, and Aviation Week recently reported that Boeing was leaning towards a more traditional engine shape.
"We're still in the process of testing the open-rotor and validating noise, vibration, performance ... We have not come to the conclusion that the open-rotor will make it. We hope it's going to be the case, because it has the potential to be by far more fuel-efficient," Faury said.
Speaking at the conference earlier, Faury reiterated Airbus aimed to launch development of a new jet by end-decade.
Pratt & Whitney and Britain's Rolls-Royce RR.L are working on designs based on geared technology with traditional engine housings or nacelles. The split raises the prospect that Airbus would be able to offer only one supplier rather than two as now.
Faury said he hoped other engine makers would join CFM in looking at open-rotor designs to provide more competition.
He did not rule out going with just one supplier.
"We will need from (CFM) a contract, an offer that works on the long term. If this is the case, we will be happy to go with them. If it's not the case, we might be back to more traditional technologies, where two manufacturers compete with each other. I would say the jury's out on how this is going to play out."
Analysts say choices about engine architecture in coming years will shape air transport for decades to come as Airbus and Boeing renew their best-selling medium-haul products, while China mounts a growing challenge to their jet market duopoly.
Reporting by Tim Hepher in Paris and David Shepardson in Washington, Editing by Franklin Paul, Nick Zieminski and Matthew Lewis
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이 웹사이트에 포함된 모든 의견, 뉴스, 리서치, 분석, 가격, 기타 정보 또는 제3자 사이트에 대한 링크와 같이 XM이 준비하는 콘텐츠 뿐만 아니라, 제3자 콘텐츠는 일반 시장 논평으로서 "현재" 기준으로 제공되며, 투자 조언으로 여겨지지 않습니다. 모든 콘텐츠가 투자 리서치로 해석되는 경우, 투자 리서치의 독립성을 촉진하기 위해 고안된 법적 요건에 따라 콘텐츠가 의도되지 않았으며, 준비되지 않았다는 점을 인지하고 동의해야 합니다. 따라서, 관련 법률 및 규정에 따른 마케팅 커뮤니케이션이라고 간주됩니다. 여기에서 접근할 수 있는 앞서 언급한 정보에 대한 비독립 투자 리서치 및 위험 경고 알림을 읽고, 이해하시기 바랍니다.
