GE Aviation's GEnx engine has received airworthiness certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration, the company said Monday.

The certification brings to a conclusion a two-year ground- and flight-testing programme for the engine, which is due to power Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, GE Aviation said in a press release.

The engine will replace the older CF6 engine.

The Genx is 15 per cent more fuel-efficient, and one of the quietest the company has produced, the release said.

To date, it has sold more than 1,100 of the engines worldwide.

Evendale-based GE Aviation, a unit of General Electric, develops and manufactures jet engines for commercial and military aircraft.