P.M. BRIEFING : GE Reports Aeroflot Contract

General Electric Co. gained a foothold in the lucrative East European airline market today in announcing an agreement to supply aircraft engines to Soviet Union’s Aeroflot, the world’s biggest airline.

The government-owned airline placed five firm orders and five options for jet engines valued at about $150 million to power Airbus Industrie A310-300 aircraft, GE announced.

The CF6-80C2 GE engines, and the planes, will be the first made in the West to be incorporated in Aeroflot’s fleet of more than 3,000 planes.

The award followed fierce competition with another Connecticut-based engine manufacturer, Pratt & Whitney of East Hartford.

Both companies were host to a delegation of Soviet aviation experts who visited their respective facilities recently.