GE Aviation and CFM International, GE's 50/50 joint company with Snecma of France, announced that combined jet engine orders in China in 2007 surpassed more than 420 engines, adding to GE's dramatically growing presence in the country.
GE and CFM engine orders in 2007 in China are valued at more than $1 billion at list price, spanning engines for regional jets to jumbo jet airliners. The value of the GE engine backlog in China has grown to approximately US$5 billion.
Air travel growth in China, where 44 new airports are scheduled for construction in the next five years, continues to outpace airplane supply. In 2007 alone, domestic airline traffic grew by 18 percent in China, while international airline traffic grew 11 percent.
"In aviation, you establish very long-term relationships," said Scott Donnelly, president and CEO of GE Aviation, headquartered in Evendale, Ohio. "In the past five years, GE Aviation has emerged as the leading engine supplier in China with a fast-growing support structure to handle these new fleets."