The genesis of aviation history occurred in 1970 in the cocktail lounge of Boston’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Three French executives approached GE Aerospace with a groundbreaking proposal: to collaborate on building a new turbofan engine in the 20,000-pound thrust class for the single-aisle commercial jet market. Ed Woll, who attended the meeting with company president Gerhard Neumann and corporate counsel Jim Sacks, would later recall, “You could have bowled us over with a feather.”
At the 1971 Paris Air Show, a pivotal meeting occurred between Neumann and Safran Aircraft Engines’ new president, René Ravaud. Neumann, who had left Germany in the late 1930s and served as an airplane mechanic with the American Volunteer Group (“Flying Tigers”) in China during World War II, found an immediate connection with Ravaud, a World War II hero who had lost his right arm during the 1944 Allied bombing of Brest Harbor. As Neumann would later write, “He and I clicked from the very first moment we met.”
The path to partnership faced numerous obstacles. Initially, the US government rejected GE’s application to export its F101 engine core for joint commercial development, as it powered the U.S. Air Force B-1 bomber. However, with support from U.S. President Richard Nixon, the government eventually approved, and in 1974, CFM International was officially established as a 50-50 joint venture. The name “CFM” combined GE’s “CF” (commercial turbofan) with Safran’s “M” from M56, their original engine designation.
Despite successful ground and flight testing, the CFM56 engine went five years without an application. In March 1979, just two weeks before the program’s potential suspension, salvation came when United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Flying Tiger cargo line ordered the CFM56-2 to re-engine 110 McDonnell Douglas DC-8 aircraft, creating the “DC-8 Super 70” series.
The momentum continued into 1980 when the US Air Force selected the CFM56-2 (designated F108 for military use) to re-engine its KC-135 refueling tankers, with the French Air Force following suit. The following year, Boeing chose the CFM56-3 as the sole powerplant for its new 737-300, requiring innovative engineering to accommodate the engine’s design. The accessory gearbox was moved to the side, creating the iconic oval shape of the CFM-powered 737 nacelle. By 2000, almost 4,000 CFM56-3 engines had been produced for the 737 “classic” series.
April 1982 marked the official entry into service when a Delta Air Lines DC-8 Super 70 made its first commercial flight from Atlanta to Savannah. Two years later, Airbus launched the A320 with the CFM56-5A, introducing the first full-authority digital electronic control system in a CFM engine. The CFM56-5A entered service on the A320 with Air France in 1988, and the following year, Airbus launched the stretched A321 powered by the CFM56-5B.
In 1993, the CFM56-7B was launched as the sole engine for Boeing’s “Next-Generation” 737 series, starting with Southwest Airlines. This model achieved the fastest fleet ramp-up in commercial aviation history until the LEAP engine’s introduction in 2016. By 1999, CFM56-7 powered Boeing 737s became the first single-aisle commercial jets to receive 180-minute Extended-Range Twin-engine Operations Performance Standards or the ETOPS approval.
At the 2008 Farnborough Airshow, CFM announced the LEAP-X engine development program and extended the joint venture to 2040. The agreement ensured that engines in the 18,000-to-50,000-pound thrust class would be developed by CFM, with GE supplying the engine core and Safran Aircraft Engines providing the fan, booster, and low-pressure turbine.
The first LEAP-powered commercial flight took off in 2016 with Pegasus Airlines’ Airbus A320neo. By 2019, the LEAP engine family had demonstrated remarkable success, offering up to 20% improvement in fuel efficiency compared to prior-generation aircraft. With a 99.95% departure reliability rate, LEAP engines have helped reduce CO2 emissions by more than 35 million tons.
In 2021, the CFM56 engine family achieved its billionth flight hour after 37 years of service across six models, boasting a 99.98% departure reliability rate. The same year, the Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines (RISE) program was unveiled, aiming to develop technologies for at least 20% more fuel-efficient flight. As Gaël Méheust, president and CEO of CFM International, states, “As CFM celebrates its 50th anniversary, we are acting on our clear ambition to make air transport more sustainable. With the RISE program, CFM will once again change the way that people fly.”
Today, CFM International stands as the most prolific jet propulsion company in aviation history, with over 54,000 engines ordered and more than 42,500 delivered. CFM56 engines power more than 14,650 commercial and military aircraft across more than 650 operators, while LEAP engines power more than 3,500 aircraft for nearly 160 operators, marking an unprecedented legacy in aviation technology.
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