GE Aviation, headquartered in Evendale, in suburban Cincinnati, has been selected as the sole engine supplier for the next version of the Boeing Co.’s 777 twin-aisle plane still under development. Boeing announced in March it had picked GE Aviation to make the engine for the new plane 777X, expected to go on the market near the end of the decade.
Jet engine maker GE Aviation will spend part of the $200 million this year assembling and testing the first high pressure compressor rig for the new engine before the final engine design is locked down, said company spokeswoman Deborah Case. The compressor is a key part of the engine that squeezes and increase air pressure before it goes into the engine’s combustor and ignites, Case said. The rig will be built in Evendale, and shipped to Italy for testing.