Major Deals With Air China, Qatar Airways

Air China and Qatar Airways have selected International Aero Engines (IAE) V2500 engines to power their new fleets of Airbus A320-family aircraft. Deliveries for Air China will start in April 2010. There was no date set for Qatar Airways. Each contract is valued at more than $233 million to Pratt & Whitney, including a long-term IAE aftermarket agreement. Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies Corp. company, is a major participant in IAE.

The Air China order covers engines for 22 aircraft, a mix of A320s and A321s. The airline already operates the V2500 on a fleet of 12 Airbus A319s. The selected engines are the latest V2500 SelectOne build standard, which increases fuel burn advantage by an additional one percent as well as further reduces CO2 emissions.

The Qatar Airways order covers engines for 20 A320s and four A321s. The airline already operates the V2500 on a fleet of 21 Airbus A320 family aircraft.

The V2500 is available in seven different thrust settings, from 22,000 to 33,000 lbs., powering the Airbus A319, A320 and A321 family of aircraft as well as the A319 Corporate Jet.

The V2500 SelectOne build standard delivers an additional 1 percent fuel burn advantage, along with a corresponding reduction in CO2 emissions. IAE claims it improves time on-wing by up to 20 percent and is compliant with the most stringent CAEP/6 NOx standards. It entered service in October 2008.

Pratt & Whitney also has delivered the first F117 engines for installation in Qatar's first C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft. The introduction of the C-17 into the Qatar fleet expands the international user community for the C-17, which already includes the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. And, the company took note of 35 years of producion of the F100 engine powering F-16 and F-15 military fighter jets operated by the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and air forces in 22 nations.  "The F100 propulsion system provides air forces around the world with superior performance and modern propulsion capabilities for today's most advanced F-15s and F-16s," said Bill Gostic, vice president, Pratt & Whitney Military Programs and Customer Support. "We are proud of this milestone and continue to implement product improvements that further enhance the world-class safety and reliability and lower the life cycle cost for all models of the F100."

FMI: www.prattandwhitney.com