Pratt & Whitney Delivers First GTF Advantage-Powered Aircraft to United Airlines

Pratt & Whitney, a division of RTX (NYSE:RTX), has delivered the first aircraft powered by its GTF Advantage engine to United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL), introducing the new engine variant into commercial service.

The aircraft is an Airbus A321XLR and represents the first delivery to an airline using the GTF Advantage configuration, according to Pratt & Whitney.

The engine manufacturer said the GTF Advantage provides between 4% and 8% more takeoff thrust than the existing GTF model and is designed to provide up to twice the time on wing.

These performance and durability figures are based on Pratt & Whitney’s specifications and claims.

GTF Advantage Designed for Compatibility With Existing Engine

Pratt & Whitney said the GTF Advantage is fully interchangeable and intermixable with its existing GTF engine, allowing airlines to operate aircraft using both configurations within the same fleet.

“United will be the first to benefit from the world-class efficiency, durability and additional thrust capability of the GTF Advantage engine, which is particularly well-suited to the long-range A321XLR,” said Rick Deurloo, president of Commercial Engines at Pratt & Whitney.

The comments represent Pratt & Whitney’s assessment of the engine’s performance and suitability for the aircraft.

Ankit Gupta, United Airlines Senior Vice President and Chief Air Operations Officer, said GTF-powered aircraft are contributing to the airline’s efforts to reduce fuel consumption and improve reliability.

No specific fuel-burn or reliability figures for United’s operations were provided in the information supplied.

Pratt & Whitney Plans Production Transition by 2028

Pratt & Whitney plans to transition its entire PW1100G-JM production line to the GTF Advantage specification by 2028.

Airlines operating the existing GTF configuration are expected to have access to a GTF Hot Section Plus upgrade during maintenance visits beginning early next year.

According to Pratt & Whitney, the upgrade can provide up to 90% to 95% of the durability benefits attributed to the GTF Advantage configuration.

The stated durability improvements are manufacturer estimates and do not represent independently verified operating results.

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