The airline already operates a fleet of Boeing 787-8s and 787-9s with GE engines.

Less than a month after Air Canada announced its firm order for 18 Boeing 787-10 aircraft, it has been revealed that GE Aerospace’s GEnx-1B engines will power these planes. The carrier already operates a fleet of Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 versions of the type, all powered by GE engines. It has now extended its relationship with the engine maker for the longest version of the Dreamliner as well.

GEnx engines selected

GE Aerospace has announced that Air Canada has placed an order for 36 GEnx-1B engines plus four spares for its latest order of the longest version of the Dreamliner planes – the Boeing 787-10. The deal also includes an option to acquire an additional 24 GEnx engines.

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Air Canada is no stranger to GEnx engines for its Dreamliner fleet. The carrier operates more than 35 Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft, all of which are powered by GEnx engines. As such, the latest order continues that tradition, further strengthening its relationship with the engine maker. Joshua Vanderveen, Vice President, Maintenance at Air Canada, commented,

“Air Canada is a longstanding GE Aerospace customer, and we are delighted to support our fleet renewal with these highly efficient GEnx engines to provide commonality and synergies across our Dreamliner fleet.”

Preferred engine option

Boeing’s 787 aircraft comes with two engine options – GEnx-1B and Rolls-Royce Trent 1000. The first option is clearly the preferred engine choice among carriers, as according to GE, it powers two out of every three 787 aircraft in service. The GEnx engine entered into service in 2011 and has since flown more than 50 million flight hours. It is also the fastest-selling high-thrust engine in GE history. There are nearly 3,000 of these engines in service and on backlog, including spares.

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GE also claims that its GEnx engine has better economics as it provides a 1.4% fuel burn savings for a typical Dreamliner flight compared to the Rolls-Royce engine, allowing airlines to save as much as $300,000 per plane annually.

Air Canada fleet

Per ch-aviation, Air Canada has a fleet of 181 active aircraft. It flies a diverse fleet of both Airbus and Boeing narrow and widebodies. Its active Airbus fleet comprises 28 A220s, four A319s, 16 A320s, 12 A321s, and 16 A330s. The airline’s active Boeing fleet comprises 39 737s, four 767s converted freighters, two 767 freighters, six 777-200 LRs, 17 777-300ERs, eight 787-8s, and 29 787-9s.

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Of course, its Dreamliner fleet will get a further boost with its firm order for 18 Boeing 787-10 aircraft with an option for 12 more. Air Canada could take the delivery of its first 787-10 as soon as 2025. Once it includes the type in its fleet, it will join the list of a small group of airlines that operate all three variants of the 787 family of planes.

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