Flight Testing Starts on GTF Advantage Engine

DALLAS - Airbus and Pratt & Whitney (P&W) have announced the start of development flight testing of the GTF Advantage engine, a more efficient PW1100G, on an A320neo in Toulouse.

The aircraft equipped with the GTF Advantage, F-WNEO (MSN 6101), is an 8-year-old A320neo built in September 2014. It has been flight-testing with Airbus from the beginning and has flown 1,573 test hours over 675 flights.

Engine certification will continue into 2023 and include a variety of environments, including hot and cold weather, along with operations from high-altitude airports. Testing will additionally take place aboard P&W's flying test bed in Mirabel, Québec, Canada.

So far, the engine has completed more than 2,400 hours and 7,800 cycles of testing, which included a successful test on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

"GTF engines already offer the lowest fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions for the A320neo family. The GTF Advantage engine extends that lead," said Rick Deurloo, president of Commercial Engines at Pratt & Whitney.

"It also enhances aircraft capability by increasing thrust and protects durability by running cooler. For airlines, this means new revenue opportunities and better operating economics. Our revolutionary geared fan architecture is the foundation for more sustainable aviation technologies in the decades ahead, and the GTF Advantage engine is the next step in that journey."

GTF Advantage, Engine

The GTF Advantage lowers fuel and CO₂ emissions by up to 1% compared with the current model GTF. It has a takeoff thrust improvement of 4% at sea level and an increase of up to 8% on takeoffs at high altitude.

P&W says the GTF Advantage is particularly suitable for the A321XLR as it could enable a longer range and a higher payload, unlocking more destinations. The GTF Advantage will be interchangeable with the current model of GTF engine, maximizing operational flexibility.

GTF-powered aircraft reduce fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions by 16% to 20%, NOx emissions by up to 50%, and aircraft noise by up to 75%. They are certified for operations on 50% SAF and have successfully completed testing on 100% SAF.

The GTF engines are capable of a further reduction in carbon emissions, which will assist the aviation industry meet its goal of net zero emissions by 2050.

The Geared Turbofan (GTF) engines are a high-bypass engine produced by Pratt & Whitney. The engines feature a gearbox in between the fan and low-pressure spool, allowing for each stage to turn at an optimal speed.

The engines are seen today on A320neo Family aircraft, the A220s, and the Embraer E-Jets E2. There are more than 1,300 aircraft at 62 operators that are flying with GTF engines; they now have more than 15 million flight hours on over 4 million flights. 10, 000 more engines are on order from 90 customers.

Furthermore, aircraft equipped with the GTF can have up to 20% fuel cost reduction and P&W claims that more than 800 million gallons (3 billion liters) have been saved.

Featured image: A320neo with GTF Advantage. Photo: Pratt & Whitney. Photo: Airbus