American picks LEAP-1A

FARNBOROUGH, England -- American Airlines has selected CFM International's LEAP-1A engine to power its new fleet of 100 Airbus A320neo family aircraft. CFM values the engine order at $2.6 billion U.S. at list price. The aircraft order was originally announced in July 2011 and American will begin taking delivery in 2017. American has been a CFM customer since 1996 and the airline's fleet includes 375 Airbus A320 family and Boeing 737 aircraft powered by CFM56 engines. CFM International is a joint venture of General Electric and Safran. (Source: Business Wire, 07/13/14) Gulf Coast note: Airbus is building an A320 final assembly line in Mobile, Ala.; GE Aviation has a jetliner engine parts plant near Hattiesburg, Miss., and Auburn, Ala.; Safran has an engineering center in Mobile.