Air Canada Selects Pratt & Whitney GTF engines to power up to 44 Airbus A320neo family aircraft

Pratt & Whitney, a division of Raytheon Technologies Corp and Air Canada have announced the selection of Pratt & Whitney GTF engines to power 30 firm and 14 purchase right Airbus A321XLR aircraft.

Pratt & Whitney will also provide Air Canada with engine maintenance through an EngineWise comprehensive service agreement. The first aircraft is expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2024.

Rick Deurloo, Chief Commercial Officer at Pratt & Whitney, said: “The Pratt & Whitney GTF family of engines have saved operators more than 600 million gallons of fuel and helped avoid six million metric tons of carbon emissions since it entered service in 2016. What’s good for the environment is also good for business, and marquee operators such as Air Canada will continue to serve their customers with the most efficient engines on offer today.”

In 2020, Air Canada became the first airline in Canada to operate the Airbus A220 family and the first in North America to operate A220-300 aircraft. The airline currently operates 28 A220-300 aircraft with an additional 17 on order. Pratt & Whitney has a long history with Air Canada, dating back to the airline’s first aircraft, a Lockheed Model 10 Electra with Pratt & Whitney Wasp engines. Prior to the A220, Pratt & Whitney powered Air Canada’s fleet of Boeing 767 aircraft.

Richard Steer, Senior Vice President, Operations and Express Carriers, at Air Canada, said: “Air Canada is pleased to be partnering with Pratt & Whitney by selecting GTF engines for our new fleet of Airbus A321neo aircraft. The GTF’s efficiency and reliability will help us lower costs and also allow us to expand our network. As well, the GTF’s state-of-the-art technology will advance our environmental program by reducing emissions and noise.”

The Pratt & Whitney GTF engine is the only geared propulsion system delivering industry-leading sustainability benefits, mature dispatch reliability and world-class operating costs. GTF engines for the Airbus A320neo family reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions by 16%, regulated emissions by 50% and noise footprint by 75%. The engine’s revolutionary geared fan architecture is the foundation for more sustainable aviation technologies in the decades ahead, with advancements like the Pratt & Whitney GTF Advantage engine and beyond.