International Aero Engines is conducting an internal study of potentially viable technologies available for an engine to power a narrowbody aircraft successor as its two major partners Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce examine differing approaches to powerplant architecture.

The chief executive of IAE partner MTU Aero Engines Egon Behle told Flight Daily News that "a strong decision" has been taken for all the stakeholders in the IAE consortium to offer a joint solution for Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 replacements.

"There are certainly some obstacles to remove," Behle said, as R-R and P&W "do have different proposals" to narrowbody development.

P&W's solution is the PW1000G geared turbofan while R-R has considered a three-shaft design for the 150-seat market.

Behle says IAE has an internal team looking at available technologies and will make a decision based on those evaluations. However, he says no decision is necessary until Airbus and Boeing settle on their respective designs.

Here at the show Airbus chief salesman John Leahy has suggested the introduction of a new narrowbody would slip even further from original estimates of 2015 to 2020-2022.

MTU's chief executive says he believes airlines might increase pressure on the airframers to introduce a new aircraft earlier than Leahy's latest estimated entry-into-service.

"It depends on if customers can convince one of the two [Airbus or Boeing]," he says. Successfully convincing one of the airframes to accelerate narrowbody development likely means the other will follow, he adds.

MTU has unveiled plans to take a stake in Saudi Arabia-based Middle East Propulsion. MEPC is joint venture of United Technologies International, Saudi Arabian Airlines and Shomoukh al Hemman for Communication and Information.

Currently the majority of MEPC's business rests with the Royal Saudi Air Force through the maintenance of Pratt & Whitney F100s powering its F-15 fleet. Planned additions for the product portfolio include RB199, EJ200 and T-56 engines.

Behle cautions military maintenance remains a small portion of MTU's business, and the company has no plan for civil aircraft overhauls at MEPC.

Source: Flight Daily News

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