K5-Aviation of Germany has placed an order with CFM International for the advanced LEAP-1A engine to power its Airbus ACJ319neo aircraft, which was ordered in 2015 and is scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2019. The LEAP-1A was chosen over the Pratt & Whitney PW110G and the engine order is valued at US $29 million.

K5 already manages three ACJ319s powered by CFM56-5B engines, all of which are available for charter. Its latest jet will be equipped with additional fuel tanks to enable longer, non-stop routes.

“We have had great success with our CFM56-5B engines, so partnering with CFM again was the natural choice,” says K5-Aviation CEO Erik Scheidt.“We are delighted by what we have seen of the LEAP-1A and know that it will be a tremendous asset to our operations.”

The engine type entered commercial service in August 2016 and is said to provide efficiency improvements of up to 15 per cent and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

K5-Aviation was founded in 2010 and, aside from the three ACJs, it currently operates two Global Express. A Global 7000 is due to be delivered in 2019.

In other news, the company is the first in Europe to select Gogo Business Aviation's 2Ku band connectivity system, as accountable manager Luca Madone explains: “Connectivity is one of our top priorities for our customers. It is a very important amenity and I think that people are tired of only having text messages available. The 2Ku system seamlessly integrates into our cabin entertainment and manage-ment system from AlsterAero. The system installed in our aircraft did not need any modification to support the bandwidth provided by 2Ku.

“The unique design and shape of the unit, including the flat antenna, has less drag and it produces no noise in the cabin as a result.”

Fokker Services managed the 2Ku installation design and system integration including the EASA STC. Installation was performed at the Fokker facilities in Hoogerheide, the Netherlands.