If the airframe manufacturers have been announcing successes throughout the week, then the engine makers have been rejoicing too.
Rolls-Royce is celebrating its selection as power provider to the Airbus Industrie (AI) A340-600 and -500 with the Trent 500 announced on Monday. Disappointed GE and Pratt & Whitney were left with one note of hope from Jean Pierson of Airbus who said there would still be opportunities in the long-term for the other manufacturers.
Dealing
Pratt & Whitney is dealing with other statistics. The company announced that the JT8D engine has reached the half-billion hours of service - an aviation industry record and the equivalent of 10 million orbits of the globe.
BMW Rolls-Royce signed with Tupolev for its BR710-48 to be fitted to the Tu334-120 regional aircraft. It is an agreement which the Anglo-German joint-venture is optimistic will lead to more opportunities in the CIS.
CFMI is also looking further afield and announced at Paris co-operation with Aviation Industries of China to develop the powerplant for the AVIC AE-100.
Pratt & Whitney had its head above the clouds as its joint venture with Russia's NPO Energomash won the exclusive deal to supply the RD-180 engine for Lockheed Martin's space projects.
American Eagle's purchase of Canadair RJ 70s and Embraer 145 meant GE and Rolls-Royce increased the engine orders for the week to more than $2billion.
R-R's managing director Colin Green sums up the mood of the engine makers: "It's been quite a start to the year," he says.
Source: Flight Daily News
