KLM Newsroom

KLM and Xiamen Airlines sign maintenance contract for Boeing 787 engines

Mon, 04 Apr 2016 17:20:25 +0200

Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance is a fully certified Maintenance Repair & Overhaul (MRO) organisation for the 787 GEnx engines. After General Electric, KLM E&M is the first MRO organisation for GEnx engines in the world.

Xiamen Airlines is KLM E&M’s launching customer for this engine type and the agreement extends the close partnership that already exists between KLM and Xiamen Airlines. The ten-year contract, valued at no less than USD 125 million, was signed in a KLM hangar at Schiphol East today by Ton Dortmans, Executive Vice President E&M KLM, and Cai Chengbao, Executive Vice President Xiamen Airlines. Also present were Xiamen Airlines Chairman & CEO, Che Shanglun, and KLM president & CEO Pieter Elbers.

KLM donates CF6-50 engine to Delft University of Technology

Wed, 02 Dec 2015 14:00:00 +0100

In December 1972, KLM took receipt of its first CF6-50 engines from General Electric (GE). The engine type donated to the Delft University of Technology was used extensively for wide-body passenger aircraft including the Airbus 300, McDonnell Douglas DC10 and Boeing 747. The engine in question successfully powered more than 26,000 flights, operating a total of no less than 57,000 flight hours. The CF6-50 type is one of the most successful aircraft engines in aviation history.

Because, nowadays, this engine type isn’t used very often, KLM decided to donate a CF6-50 engine to the university where students can use it for training purposes. “We firmly believe that tomorrow’s aircraft engineers can learn a lot from this masterpiece,” said Rob Duivis, programme manager at KLM Engine Services. KLM now uses more economical engines such as the GEnx-1B type for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

The engine was symbolically handed over today by KLM Engineering & Maintenance to Hester Bijl, Dean of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering. After the engine was handed over, Mr Paul Chün, Vice President Engine Services KLM, gave a lecture at the university.

Also read our KLM Blog "Farewell to One of Our Last GE CF6-50 Engines"

First Commercial GEnx Engine Delivered

Wed, 28 Jan 2015 16:31:41 +0100

At the same time a decision was reached to maintain the engine in-house for both Air France-KLM and its customers. Implementation got under way immediately in order to be able to take on third-party work as soon as possible.

ES setup this process last year and obtained the various EASA certificates needed to maintain the GEnx engine. After becoming accredited, the first commercial engine rolled in from Qatar Airways for maintenance. The engine was contracted out to KLM on behalf of GE.

The maintenance programme included replacement of the combustion chamber of the engine and carrying out several modifications. The GEnx requires a Quick Turn (QT) maintenance check. The QT is intended to swiftly resolve any operational fleet problems for engines in service between shop visits. In the period ahead, ES will be expanding its activities to facilitate full shop visits.

The engines will be maintained in Amsterdam and repairs to components will be carried out across the Air France-KLM E&M network. The engine will be tested in Paris. The next engine has also arrived at ES for a GEnx Quick Turn, in this case for Ethiopian Airlines.