Boeing's plans to have full interchangeability between the two engine types for the 7E7 have failed to impress the world's biggest engine lessor, writes Kieran Daly.
Jon Sharp, who has built Shannon-based Engine Lease Finance (ELF) into a commanding position in the sector with 160 powerplants on its books, believes the technically challenging exercise will do little to boost the type's market value.
He says: "I think the engineering problem is the issue - it adds weight and complexity."
Boeing chose the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 and General Electric GEnx as alternatives on the 7E7. Sharp agrees that the differently powered models will have different values in the used aircraft market - citing the current attractiveness of GE-powered Boeing 767s compared with Pratt & Whitney-powered models.
He says however that the theoretical possibility of switching engines will have little real-world effect on aircraft values.
Source: Flight International
