China Southern Airlines has selected Pratt & Whitney's new PW4170 Advantage70 engines to power the 10 new Airbus A330-200s it will begin receiving in March 2010.
The airline announced the engine selection at a Paris air show press conference. The agreement, which also includes a 10-year engine maintenance pact, is valued by the manufacturer at $590 million.
China Southern already operates PW4062A engines on two Boeing 747 freighters and has 100 Airbus A320s powered by International Aero Engines V2500s, in which P&W is a partner. But its current A330s are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent engines, and P&W Commercial Engines president Todd Kallman says the selection marks the first P&W-powered A330 to enter service in China.
"We selected Pratt & Whitney because the advanced technology of the PW4170 Advantage70 engine will generate significant benefits for our customers in terms of operational needs and cut our carbon dioxide output," says China Southern chairman Si Xianmin.
Pratt & Whitney says its Advantage70 technology upgrade increases thrust by 2% to 70,000lb and reduces fuel consumption by 1%. Its first PW4000-100 engines with the Advantage70 technology upgrade entered service this month.
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Source: Flight Daily News