More airlines have expressed interest in Pratt & Whitney’s Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine, the engine selected to power the Bombardier CSeries and the Mitsubishi Regional Jet.
UK budget carrier EasyJet and US major Northwest Airlines made their remarks in a P&W statement released following the engine maker’s next generation technology symposium in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Northwest was previously identified as a potential CSeries customer to replace the carrier’s fleet of aging McDonnell Douglas DC-9s
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“The environmental benefits of the geared turbofan engine are significant and timely in the current world of exorbitant fuel prices and environmental sensitivity,” Northwest director of powerplant and component engineering Bob Pekarek.
He added: “I was impressed at how quiet the geared turbofan engine was at idle and full take-off power, requiring only minimal hearing protection and allowing the ability to hold a conversation while the engine was running at those high speeds. Typically, being that close to an engine at take off power requires maximum hearing protection and there is no chance of holding a conversation. The dramatically reduced fuel burn, noise and emissions of the geared turbofan engine are significant advantages.”
However, the SkyTeam alliance member and EasyJet stopped short of signing orders for a GTF-powered aircraft.
“It is truly impressive to see the amount of time, resource and money Pratt & Whitney is devoting to the geared turbofan engine program,” EasyJet strategic planning manager Hal Calamvokis says. “Considering the cost and environmental challenges facing this industry what we need is action-not talk-and I commend Pratt & Whitney for putting their money where their mouth is.”
P&W is completing Phase II ground testing on the GTF to determine engine performance and acoustic characteristics with a flight-capable nacelle system prior to mid-year flight testing. The demonstrator engine has logged about 200 hours since ground testing started.
As previously reported, US lessor International Lease Finance (ILFC) has indicated interest in becoming a launch customer for the CSeries and Lufthansa says it is “considering” the aircraft.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence News
Source: Flight International
