A320neo Leap-1As in production

Core assembly of the first pair of CFM International Leap-1A engines to power the Airbus A320neo is underway, marking the start of a production run that has amassed firm orders for more than 7,500 engines across three new-generation variants. The flight-test engines are being assembled at General Electric's production facility in Durham, N.C. The engine competes with Pratt and Whitney's PW1100G for the A320neo market. CFM International is a joint venture of GE Aviation, a division of General Electric, and Snecma, and division of France's Safran. (Source: Aviation Week and Space Technology, 08/11/14) Gulf Coast note: An A320 final assembly line is being built in Mobile, Ala.; Safran has an engineering center in Mobile; GE Aviation has an engine parts plant in Auburn, Ala., and in Mississippi's Ellisville near Hattiesburg and Batesville.