This article is part of a directory: Farnborough Airshow 2022: As It Happens
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  • A321neo DLH (Lufthansa)
    Pratt & Whitney
    Date Founded:
    1925-01-01
    CEO:
    Christopher Calio
    Headquarters Location:
    East Hartford, United States
    Business Type:
    Engine Maker

The Farnborough Airshow is in full swing, and we are bound to discover plenty of exciting news in the upcoming days. While aircraft developments always generate plenty of headlines, there would not be much of a commercial jet industry without the engines that power them. On Monday, Pratt & Whitney announced that it had started FAR33 certification testing of its GTF Advantage engine, currently scheduled to enter into service in 2024.

The American aerospace manufacturer says it is continuing to run extensive endurance testing on its new geared turbofan engine for the Airbus A320neo family of aircraft. The GTF Advantage has now completed more than 2,000 hours of development and certification testing. This includes a successful test running the engine on 100% sustainable aviation fuel earlier this year.

The GTF Advantage will offer a 1% fuel burn and CO2 emissions reduction compared to its closest predecessor, the PurePower PW1100G-JM geared turbofan, which is currently one of the two engine options for A320neo customers. This makes it 17% more efficient than prior generation powerplants.

Rick Deurloo, President of Commercial Engines at Pratt & Whitney, commented on the announcement,

"GTF Advantage offers even more value to our customers, especially on longer-range aircraft like the A321XLR. It will extend GTF’s lead as the most sustainable, fuel-efficient and powerful engine for the A320neo family – and it will be highly reliable on day one.”

GTF Advantage SAF
The CO2 captured could be used to produce SAF. Photo: Pratt & Whitney 

Geared fan architecture 'long runway for the future'

Later in 2022, P&W will continue testing will continue FAR33 certification testing on the wing of a testbed located in Mirabel, Canada. It will also begin aircraft-level validation testing on the Airbus A320neo development aircraft in Toulouse, France. Jim Pennito, Vice President of A320neo family engines at Pratt & Whitney, stated,

“GTF Advantage provides more thrust while running cooler, with more airflow and improvements in aerodynamics, coatings and clearance control. We’re able to do all this thanks to our revolutionary geared fan, which gives us an architecture with a long runway for the future.”

The GTF Advantage will up to 34,000 pounds of takeoff thrust, which increases both payload and range. As previously stated, it is meant to become available as an option for customers in 2024.

air canada a321xlr
Air Canada will power its A321XLR aircraft with P&W engines. Photo: Airbus

The Airbus A320neo family of aircraft is currently on offer with two engine options - the aforementioned PurePower PW1100G-JM and the CFM International LEAP-1A. According to P&W, the company has equipped over 1,600 planes delivered to 62 operators across three aircraft families - Airbus A320neo, Airbus A220, and Embraer E-Jets E2 - with geared turbofan engines.

Among those recently having chosen the P&W option for their Airbus orders are Qantas (40 Airbus A220 and A320neo family aircraft, including A321XLR jets) and Air Canada (30 firm and 14 purchase right Airbus A321XLR aircraft).