At the Singapore Airshow 2022 on Tuesday, Pratt & Whitney announced that their GTF engines have saved Asia Pacific operators over 300 million gallons of fuel, while avoiding more than three million metric tonnes of carbon emissions since 2016.
At the Singapore Airshow on Tuesday (February 15, 2022), Pratt & Whitney announced that their GTF engines have saved operators in the Asia Pacific region over 300 million gallons (over a billion liters) of fuel, while reducing carbon emissions by more than three million metric tonnes since entering service in 2016. With 25 airlines in the region operating more than 500 GTF powered aircraft across three aircraft families, including Airbus A320neos, A220s and Embraer E-2 jets, the engines have flown over three million engine flight hours, transporting more than 200 million passengers. The GTF Family of engines deliver between 15 and 20 percent better fuel efficiency and a reduction of up to 50 percent in regulated emissions, as well as a 75 percent smaller noise footprint compared to previous generation engines.
In Tuesday’s announcment, Pratt & Whitney’s Chief Commercial Officer, Rick Deurloo, said,
“GTF engines are delivering exceptional economics and leading the charge toward more sustainable aviation in the Asia Pacific region. We developed the geared architecture for the advantages it would give us and our customers in the long term. We’re just getting started and look forward to continuing to deliver even more value to our customers as we power their growth in the years ahead.”
The revolutionary geared turbofan architecture of Pratt & Whitney’s GTF Family engines is the foundation of the aero engine manufacturer’s strategy to deliver more sustainable engine propulsion technologies, in support of the industry’s goal to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The engine is proving its long runway for growth with the recent introduction of the Pratt & Whitney GTF Advantage™ engine. The newest configuration will offer Airbus A320neo Family operators more takeoff thrust, better fuel efficiency and further reduced CO2 emissions.
The company also continues to invest in their portfolio of EngineWise® solutions, with the continued expansion of their GTF MRO network. The network currently has three MRO centers in the Asia Pacific region, with five more coming online, including the recently announced shop at Korean Air.
In a separate announcement from the Singapore Airshow on Tuesday (February 15, 2022), Pratt & Whitney Canada announced that they are advancing their environmental commitments by supporting 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) compatibility for their engines. The company has also expanded their carbon offset service to regional customers and advanced their hybrid-electric propulsion technology and flight demonstrator program.
In Tuesday’s announcment, Pratt & Whitney Canada’s President, Maria Della Posta, said,
“Pratt & Whitney Canada is uniquely positioned to bring productive, safe propulsion to the world combining efficient thermal and electrical propulsion systems, while offering the broadest suite of solutions to customers. To that end, we’ve made several advancements in our sustainability roadmap that herald the application of proven technology to achieve net zero CO2 emissions by 2050.”
Pratt & Whitney’s entire engine portfolio can currently operate on a blend of up to 50 percent SAF, and the company is working to make their engines 100 percent SAF ready for the future. Recently, a PW100 turboprop engine successfully ran on 100 percent SAF during a series of ground and test flights on ATR’s 72-600 prototype aircraft. ATR is planning a demonstration flight early this year on a Braathens Regional Airlines’ ATR aircraft, with both engines running on 100 percent SAF. Additionally, Pratt & Whitney has launched a SAF pilot program with German helicopter operator ADAC, who will operate SAF blend tests for 36 months, providing one of the most extensive operational SAF usage data for rotary wing aircraft.
Launched in December 2020, Pratt & Whitney Canada’s ‘Carbon Offset Service’ is now available to regional customers on a Fleet management Program. The program helps operators minimize their carbon footprint faster than otherwise possible, through initiatives focused on renewable energy and forest conservation. Pratt & Whitney Canada is also pursuing hybrid-electric technology in collaboration with Collins Aerospace and De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited (DHC) with a hybrid-electric flight demonstrator targeting a 30 percent reduction in fuel burn and emissions. The DHC Dash 8-100 flight demonstrator will include an advanced electric motor and controller from Collins Aerospace.
Commenting on the hybrid-electric collaboration, Pratt & Whitney Canada’s Vice President – Business Development and Commercial Services, Scott McElvaine, said,
“We are excited about the progress we’ve made in the hybrid-electric space with our propulsion technology. It remains a core element of our strategy to make aviation more sustainable. We are growing our team to support the technology development, recently hiring 25 engineers, and are continuing our search to add even more talent over the course of this year. We are on track for ground testing in the latter half of 2022.”
Finally, Pratt & Whitney Canada continues to invest in advanced technologies to deliver more efficient and lower-emissions propulsion technologies across multiple market segments and applications. The company’s new PW127XT turboprop engine series has been selected by ATR as the new standard for their ATR 42/72 aircraft Family. The new engine offers 40 percent extended time on wing, 20 percent lower maintenance costs and a three percent improvement in fuel efficiency, adding to the existing 40 percent fuel efficiency advantage offered by turboprop aircraft compared to similarly sized regional jets.
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(s): Pratt & Whitney, Pratte & Whitney Canada