Zhejiang Loong Air signs RPFH agreement for CFM56-5B engines

China’s Zhejiang Loong Airlines has signed a Rate per Flight Hour (RPFH) agreement with CFM International to support its fleet of CFM56-5B engines. Under the terms of the 12-year agreement, which is valued at $138 million U.S., CFM will guarantee maintenance costs for a total of 17 CFM56-5B engines on a dollar per engine flight hour basis. Zhejiang Loong Airlines, based in Hangzhou in Eastern China, began commercial operations in December 2013 with two CFM56-5B-powered Airbus A320 aircraft. “The reliability of our CFM56 engines has been a big factor in our successful operations,” said Liu Qihong, chairman of Zhejiang Loong