Sharjah-based low-cost airline Air Arabia has placed a $620m order for engines that will power its Airbus A320 fleet.

The airline currently has 44 A329 planes.

Air Arabia announced the order of the CFM56-5B engines during the UK’s Farnborough Airshow.

The engines are produced by CFM International, which is a 50/50 joint company between France’s Snecma (Safran Group) and the US’ General Electric (GE).

Morocco’s national airline Royal Air Maroc also signed a deal with Snecma during the airshow for the maintenance contract for its CFM56-5B engines.

This deal covers 36 Boeing 737 twinjets in the airline’s fleet.