Air Canada has selected Pratt & Whitney GTF engines to power 30 firm orders and 14 options for Airbus A321XLR aircraft. Pratt & Whitney will also provide the carrier with engine maintenance through an EngineWise® Comprehensive service agreement.
On Tuesday (April 26, 2022), Pratt & Whitney announced that Air Canada has selected the manufacturer’s GTF™ engines to power a firm order for 30 Airbus A321XLRs plus 14 options, scheduled for delivery from the first quarter of 2024. Air Canada has also signed a Pratt & Whitney EngineWise® Comprehensive service agreement for maintenance of the engines. Both companies have a long history together dating back to Air Canada’s first aircraft, a Lockheed Model 10 Electra powered by Pratt & Whitney Wasp engines. Later, the engine manufacturer powered the carrier’s fleet of Boeing 767s. In 2020, Air Canada became the first airline in Canada to operate the Airbus A220 Family of aircraft, powered by GTF engines, and then the first in North America to operate the A220-300. The airline currently has a fleet of 28 A220-300s, plus an additional 17 on order.
In Tuesday’s announcment, Pratt & Whitney’s Chief Commercial Officer, Rick Deurloo, said,
“The Pratt & Whitney GTF family of engines have saved operators more than 600 million gallons of fuel and helped avoid six million metric tons of carbon emissions since it entered service in 2016. What's good for the environment is also good for business, and marquee operators such as Air Canada will continue to serve their customers with the most efficient engines on offer today.”
Also commenting on the GTF engine selection, Air Canada’s Senior Vice President – Operations and Express Carriers. Richard Steer, added,
“Air Canada is pleased to be partnering with Pratt & Whitney by selecting GTF engines for our new fleet of Airbus A321neo aircraft. The GTF's efficiency and reliability will help us lower costs and also allow us to expand our network. As well, the GTF's state-of-the-art technology will advance our environmental program by reducing emissions and noise.”
Pratt & Whitney’s GTF engines deliver industry-leading sustainability benefits, mature dispatch reliability and world-class operating costs. The engines for the A320neo Family deliver a reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions of 16 percent, as well a 75 percent reduction in noise footprint and NOx emissions that are 50 percent below the ICAO CAEP/6 regulatory standard.
A division of Raytheon Technologies Corporation (NYSE: RTX), Pratt & Whitney is a global leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft and helicopter engines and auxiliary power units (APUs) for commercial, military, regional, business and general aviation aircraft. Pratt & Whitney is known for their innovative technologies such as the Geared Turbofan (GTF) commercial aircraft engine and the PW800 business jet engine.
Source: Pratt & Whitney