EVENDALE, OHIO - Southwest Airlines has signed a $300 million agreement with CFM International to purchase core upgrade kits for 300 CFM56-3 engines in its fleet. The upgrade kits, which feature advanced three dimensional high pressure compressor aerodynamics (3-D aero) and new high pressure turbine hardware, will be certified in early 2002 and begin delivery to Southwest by mid-year.CFM International (CFM), the world's leading supplier of commercial aircraft engines, is a 50/50 joint company between Snecma Moteurs of France and General Electric of the United States."The CFM56-3 is the backbone of our fleet," said Jim Sokol, vice president of Maintenance and Engineering for Southwest Airlines. "This upgrade puts the most advanced technology available into an engine we've relied on for nearly 20 years and makes it even more efficient, more economical to operate, and easier to maintain. The program completely supports Southwest Airlines' objective of providing highly reliable, low cost service to our customers."CFM completed a 95-hour demonstration program to validate the hardware for this upgrade kit, which will give operators better fuel efficiency, lower maintenance costs, and longer on-wing life. On average, CFM56-3 engines stay on wing 16,000 hours before requiring an initial shop visit and about 10,000 hours after overhaul. By incorporating 3-D aero in the engine's turbomachinery, the CFM56-3 gains an additional 15° centigrade in exhaust gas temperature margin. This additional margin provides significantly more time on wing, thus reducing engine maintenance costs. In addition, the technology provides as much as a 1 percent improvement in specific fuel consumption. The turbine upgrades include new nozzle, blade and shroud materials, as well as improved cooling. These changes extend component life, as well as lower scrap rates and repair costs. Engine operation with this upgrade is seamless to airlines, with no change in power management.The CFM56-3 is the exclusive powerplant for the Boeing Classic 737-300/-400/-500 series. Southwest was one of the original customers for the CFM56-3-powered Boeing 737 which, today, is the best-selling engine/aircraft combination in history, with more than 4,000 engines in service powering 1,987 aircraft.