All Nippon Airways’ selection of the Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan (GTF)-powered Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) emphasizes demand for the engine technology and reaffirms what P&W has been hearing from airlines about the need for more efficient offerings, the engine manufacturer says.
The Japanese carrier today placed a firm order for 15 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) MRJ90s with options for 10 more - representing the first order for the high bypass GTF, which has also been exclusively selected to power Bombardier’s proposed 110/130-seat CSeries airliner.
First delivery of the GTF-powered MRJ is scheduled for 2013. Engine-level certification “will likely happen in 2011”, followed by certification on the aircraft in 2012 and entry-into-service a year later, says a P&W spokesman.
With MHI, Pratt has completed over 100 customer visits since October 2007, when MHI began formally offering the regional jet for sale. Following these meetings, the engine maker is confident that new orders are in the offing.
In the GTF the fan operates independently of the low-pressure compressor and turbine, which P&W says results in greater fuel efficiency and a slower fan speed for less noise. The engine will provide “differentiation” in the 70- to 90-seat regional jet market, which holds “lots of opportunity”, says P&W.
Star member ANA’s order has gotten the proverbial ball rolling, however. P&W is not disclosing the financial terms of the deal. But it says: “We are delighted about this first order and it underscores what we've been hearing from our customers around the world - the geared turbofan engine brings the game-changing improvements in fuel burn, engine noise, environmental emissions and operating costs that airlines are demanding.
“We are proud to power All Nippon Airways’ new aircraft and excited to continue working with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to bring this next-generation aircraft to customers around the world.”
Source: flightglobal.com's sister premium news source Air Transport Intelligence news
Source: FlightGlobal.com
