Pratt & Whitney, based in East Hartford, Connecticut, has revealed that its engines have saved 1 billion gallons (nearly 4 billion liters) of fuel since they entered into service. In addition to saving fuel, the company also boasts of saving 10 million tons of carbon emissions. More than 64 operators worldwide have ordered the GTF engines, and 1,400 aircraft have been delivered.

"GTF engines continue to deliver lower operational costs for our customers; new routes and revenue potential for airlines, airports, and communities; and big savings in noise and emissions for passengers and our planet,” said Rick Deurloo, head of Commercial Engines at Pratt & Whitney. The engines allow operators to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 16% to 20% and can reduce the noise footprint by 75%."

The company has also expanded its maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) network for the GTF engine in cooperation with Air France Industries, KLM Engineering and Maintenance, Iberia Maintenance, and SR Technics of Zurich.

Aggressive strategy

These achievements appear to result from an aggressive strategy undertaken by Pratt & Whitney to make its GTF engines a world leader in fuel efficiency and CO2 emission reductions.

In 2021, the company created the position of Chief Sustainability Officer and appointed company veteran Graham Webb to fill the post. Webb, who holds degrees in Engineering and Materials Science, was tasked with the execution of Pratt & Whitney’s sustainable propulsion technology strategy and communicating the company’s capabilities and achievements to key constituencies.

In September 2021, Pratt & Whitney teamed up with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to work on reducing noise, emissions, and fuel consumption by developing an ultra-quiet engine fan and advanced combustion technology,

In March 2022, the Company successfully tested a GTF Advantage engine with 100 % sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at its West Palm Beach, Florida facility. “We’re thrilled to have successfully tested the GTF Advantage engine on unblended SAF,” said Graham Webb, “The GTF Advantage represents the greenest, lowest emission engine in the industry, and it is now demonstrating full operational capability for the greenest aviation fuels of today and tomorrow.”

In October 2022, Airbus Industries began testing Pratt & Whitney’s GTF Advantage engine on an A320neo aircraft. The missions would include endurance testing as well as hot and cold weather tests and operation testing for high-altitude airports.

In November, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) selected Pratt & Whitney to help develop advanced engine technologies to reduce fuel consumption and emissions for the next generation of single-aisle aircraft.

Pratt & Whitney GTF engine fixed to an aircraft wing
Photo: Pratt & Whitney

The greenest and quietest engines

Pratt & Whitney will continue to strive to make the GTF family of engines “the quietest, greenest, and most efficient family of engines for single-aisle aircraft.”

That family includes the PW1100G-JM, delivering 24K to 33K pounds of thrust, for the Airbus A320neo, the PW1500G with 19K to 25K pounds of thrust to power the Airbus A220, and the PW1900G, a power plant delivering 19K to 23K of thrust for the Embraer E190-E2, and E195-E2.