CFM Picks Singapore for RISE Engine Airport Trials

CFM International will establish an airport testbed for its Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines (RISE) technology in Singapore. On Monday, the engine manufacturer signed a memorandum of understanding for the initiative with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and Airbus.

Under the agreement, operational trials of the RISE open-fan engine demonstrators will be conducted at either Changi or Seletar airports “to test and validate the readiness framework and assess operational feasibility” of the technology. It was signed during the third Changi Aviation Summit on the eve of the 2026 Singapore Airshow.

The partners said they will jointly develop the basis for deploying new airliners powered by open-fan engines in existing airport operations. Their work will cover aircraft system and design considerations, infrastructure modifications, operational changes, safety standards, and regulatory procedures.

CFM, a joint venture between Safran and GE Aviation, is developing open-fan engines to power potential new Airbus and Boeing single-aisle aircraft that could enter service in the 2030s. The program started in 2021 with a view to providing successors to the company’s current family of Leap turbofans.

“This first-of-its-kind agreement is a huge boon for the CFM RISE development program,” said CFM International president and CEO Gaël Méheust. “These technologies are designed to deliver unprecedented improvements in fuel efficiency and emissions in a highly robust future product that can support demanding operations. Now, having the ability to perform a real-world demonstration—from ground handling to maintenance actions, to airport operations—will give airlines, and, hopefully, the flying public confidence in the safety, durability, and efficiency of open-fan [engines].”

The partners did not say when the open-fan engine ground tests will start. The agreement paves the way for the first airport trials of the RISE technology.