International Aero Engines is open to developing a new powerplant that could compete on a proposed future variant of the Airbus A320.
Airbus has said that it could re-engine the A320 and has asked IAE to look into supplying the powerplant.
"We want to reiterate that Airbus says that it wants IAE, and our intention is to be on the aircraft. We are the preferred route to the market," said IAE chief executive Ian Aitken, speaking at the Singapore Air Show.
"We've been talking about the potential for performance improvement for some time. This could be a new engine or an improvement to the existing engine. When Airbus have defined their performance criteria, our intention is to have an engine that meets that.
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V2500 powered Airbus A320 |
"We can choose the technology from the four partners in IAE and put together an optimum engine. We can pick the right configuration for the right application once Airbus solidifies its performance indication."
Airbus has said that it wants IAE to be the route to an engine, but it has also suggested that the Pratt & Whitney PW1000G geared turbofan should be offered, through IAE, for a re-engined A320.
IAE will look both at improvements to its V2500, Aitken says, and "look at a new technology package for a centreline engine". He does not rule out incorporating some aspects of the geared turbofan for a new engine, saying: "It is logical to look at all the different technologies from all the partners. We are not ruling out anything at all."
Aitken says that IAE has delivered more than 4,000 engines and has a backlog of 2,000 powerplants or six years' worth of production. "IAE has been successful for 20 years and we intend to be around for the long term," he adds.
- All the latest news, images and video from the 2010 Singapore Airshow
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
