Pratt & Whitney today celebrated the 40th anniversary of the establishment of International Aero Engines and IAE’s versatile and proven V2500 engine, which continues to power over 3,500 aircraft worldwide.
On Thursday (March 9, 2023), Pratt & Whitney celebrated the 40th anniversary of the establishment of International Aero Engines (IAE). The multinational consortium also includes Pratt & Whitney Aero Engines International GmbH, Japanese Aero Engines Corporation and MTU Aero Engines. Launched in March 1983, the consortium leveraged diverse engineering expertise and advanced technology across the partners to develop the cleaner, quieter and more fuel efficient V2500 engine. The V2500 led the single-aisle aircraft market into the new millennium, and continues to power nearly 3,500 aircraft worldwide.
In Thursday’s announcement, IAE’s President and Pratt & Whitney’s VP – Mature Commercial Engines, Earl Exum, said,
“The V2500 is a workhorse of the aviation industry and has grown into one of the most successful commercial aerospace programs of all time. The V2500 wouldn’t be the triumph it is without our IAE collaborators, customers, and suppliers. With the IAE collaboration agreement extension to 2045 and a substantial fleet of V2500s in service today, this joint venture has secured its standing as a global aviation leader for decades to come.”
With continuous improvement over the past 40 years, today the versatile V2500 engine delivers reliability, efficient power and performance for around 150 commercial, cargo and military customers across 80 countries. Since entering service, more than 7,800 V2500s have been produced, collectively powering over 135 million flights, and logging more than 255 million engine flight hours. The engine is also approved for operation on 50 percent SAF. One year after IAE was formed, the V2500 engine won its position on the Airbus A320ceo Family, later entering service with Adria Airlines in 1989. Currently, the V2500 powers 60 percent of the global in-service A320ceo fleet, with an average age of 12.8 years. Additionally, the engine powered 116 Boeing MD-90 aircraft, entering service with Delta Air Lines in 1995.
Also commenting on the milestone anniversary, Airbus’ Executive Vice President – Programmes & Services, Phillipe Mhun, said,
“The V2500 has long powered Airbus aircraft. The engines reliably transport millions of passengers each year. We extend our congratulations to IAE and the party companies for 40 years of dedicated service to the V2500 and the aircraft that it powers.”
IAE introduced multiple V2500 engine enhancements between 1993 and 2011, including the A5, D5, SelectOne™, SelectTwo™, and E5 variants. Each release offered subsequent enhancements in reliability, fuel efficiency, reduced noise footprint, and other performance benefits. The V2500 engine delivers a three percent fuel efficiency advantage over the competing engine, and holds a dispatch reliability rate of 99.97 percent. The E5 variant remains in production for the Embraer C-390 Millennium, which entered service with the Brazilian Air Force in 2019. The aircraft is also in service with NATO member nations Portugal and Hungary. Delivering 31,000 pounds of thrust, the V2500-E5 supports a variety of missions, including cargo and troop transport, aerial refueling, aerial firefighting, search and rescue, medical evacuation, and humanitarian disaster relief.
Commenting on the V2500-E5 variant’s performance, Embraer Defense & Security’s President & CEO, Bosco da Costa Junior, said,
“As a medium-weight, multi-mission tactical aircraft, the V2500-E5-powered C-390 provides versatility and dependability, even in challenging environments. The ability to be rapidly reconfigured and its capability to operate on short, unpaved or damaged runways makes it extremely useful for a variety of missions. We’re excited to see the program continue to grow in the coming years.”
More Recently, the V2500 powered the first Airbus A320 and A321 passenger-to-freight (P2F) conversions, with more slated to enter service in the coming years. Currently, approximately 70 percent of V2500-powered aircraft are under 15 years old, and one-third of the engines are still on first run. IAE’s V2500 is supported by a global network of 17 MRO facilities, including nine IAE partner facilities. Pratt & Whitney have also been enhancing services for the engine, including LLP solutions, new and serviceable material programs, engine swaps and more. With long-term agreements, fixed price services and transactional solutions, an increasing variety of work scopes and payment options are available to V2500 operators.
Over the past 40 years, IAE has produced the nearly 8,000 engines originally projected in 1983. Today, IAE and their partners are entering a new and exciting era, positioned to serve customers by offering more flexible single-aisle offerings.
Source: Pratt & Whitney