Business & Finance Club - Farnborough: Air Arabia, the first and largest low-cost carrier in the Middle East and North Africa, said it has selected the CFM56-5B engine to power its 44 Airbus A320 family aircraft order placed in 2007.

This engine selection, which will more than double the airline's CFM56-5B powered A320 fleet, is valued at more than $620 million (Dh2,277 million) at the list price.

Customised programme

Together with the engine selection, Air Arabia also signed a multi-year Rate per Flight Hour (RPFH) service agreement for its CFM56-5B fleet.

The RPFH is a comprehensive maintenance programme customised to Air Arabia's specific needs under which CFM guarantees the maintenance cost on a dollar per engine flight hour basis.

Air Arabia also said it has signed an exclusive maintenance agreement with Hamilton Sundstrand Power Systems to provide long-term repair and maintenance support for its APS3200 Auxiliary Power Units (APU) installed on 16 present Airbus A320 aircraft. Hamilton Sundstrand is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp.

The APS3200 APU is currently powering more than 1,600 Airbus A320 aircraft worldwide.