CFM nears $2.6B order

A General Electric joint venture is nearing an order from U.K. discount airline EasyJet for 200 jet engines valued at $2.6 billion. The Leap-1A engines from CFM International would power 100 Airbus Group A320neos that EasyJet agreed to buy in 2013. The deal may be announced at the Farnborough International Airshow in England. It would mark a setback for Pratt and Whitney, which vies with CFM to supply engines for the latest model in the top-selling A320 jet family. Safran, of France, is the other partner of CFM International. (Source: Bloomberg, 07/10/14) 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; economic development teams from the I-10 region will attend the Farnborough air show.