Willis Lease Finance Corporation (WLFC) has reaffirmed its plan to exercise options for 30 CFM International LEAP spare engines, following the announcement made earlier this year. These options stem from WLFC’s 2019 agreement for up to 60 LEAP engines – the largest order in the company’s history.
Combined with a 2017 order, the latest commitment makes WLFC the largest independent lessor of LEAP spare engines, with a total of 70, excluding units acquired through financing arrangements. The order covers LEAP-1A engines for Airbus A320neo aircraft and LEAP-1B engines for the Boeing 737 MAX family.
“Willis Lease is proud to expand our LEAP spare engine portfolio,” said Austin Willis, CEO of Willis Lease Finance Corporation. “This order underscores our confidence in the LEAP engine’s performance and reliability, as well as our commitment to supporting the next generation of fuel-efficient aircraft.”
WLFC now manages a portfolio of more than 350 owned or overseen engines, including CFM LEAP and CFM56 models serving the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families.
With more than 4,000 aircraft delivered to date, CFM LEAP engines have experienced the fastest ramp in commercial aviation history. Advanced technologies like composite fan blades and ceramic matrix composites deliver an engine that’s 15% more fuel efficient, with 15% lower carbon emissions than prior-generation CFM56 engines. Backed by advanced health monitoring systems and an open MRO ecosystem, CFM LEAP engines offer mature reliability and enable high asset utilisation for narrow-body aircraft.
