Aerospace Diary

by Neelam Mathews February 19, 2018, 11:00 AM India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has refuted media claims that that budget airline IndiGo put safety at risk by flying A320neos powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1100Gs following findings of faulty knife-edge seals in some of the engines’ high-pressure compressors. In a caustic statement, it called the allegations “baseless, devoid of technical support, and lacking material evidence…with a view to  create   sensation  in the minds of the traveling public. IndiGo’s fleet includes 32 A320neos, and fellow Indian low-fare carrier Go Air has inducted 13 A320neos powered by the Pratt & Whitney engines. Pratt recently reported it identified the potentially affected engines and communicated with its customers. “As a precaution, aircraft with these engines will be addressed in a manner consistent with the operational instructions issued by Airbus,” it said. In compliance with a February 9 EASA Emerge...

Neelam Mathews Oct 27, 2017                                    Pix Credit-copyright Neelam Mathews Aerospacediary that reported very recently (see story below) that IndiGo had only 2 Aircraft on Ground from 15 not so long ago due to issues related to the GTF engine, has hit the zeroAOG mark. Congrats Indian aviation, P&W and IndiGo for happier days ahead!

Neelam Mathews Jan 9, 2012 Embraer today announced it has selected Pratt & Whitney’s PurePower Geared Turbofan engine as the exclusive power for its new second generation of the E-Jet aircraft family. Pratt & Whitney is a division of United Technologies Corp. Planned to enter service in 2018, the Embraer E-Jets equipped with PurePower PW1700G and PW1900G engines will offer significant reductions in fuel burn, emissions, noise and operating costs. Pratt & Whitney President David Hess said: “Embraer’s selection of the PurePower engine is another significant endorsement of this game-changing technology.” The PurePower engine uses an advanced gear system allowing the engine’s fan to operate at a different speed than the low-pressure compressor and turbine. 

Posted by- Neelam Mathews Dec 6, 2012 Pratt & Whitney announced its Singapore engine center celebrated more than 30 years of operations with the milestone delivery of its 7000th overhauled engine.  Since beginning operation, the Singapore engine center has delivered 3,730 PW4000 series of engines (that power Airbus A300, A310 and A330 aircraft family as well as Boeing 747, 767, 777 and MD11 aircraft), 174 CFM56 engines (that power Airbus A340 aircraft), 47 GE90 engines (that power Boeing 777 aircraft) and 3,049 JT9D series of engines (that power Boeing 747-100 aircraft).  A joint venture between Pratt & Whitney and SIA Engineering Co., the engine center also recently surpassed the US-billion-dollar revenue mark. Growing from its beginnings to support Singapore Airlines’ (SIA) 747 fleet, the engine center today maintains a diverse portfolio of customers from around the world – with approximately 50 percent from the Americas, 40 percent from Asia Pacific...

FARNBOROUGH AIR SHOW  »  JULY 10, 2012 by    NEELAM MATHEWS July 10, 2012, 12:40 PM Pratt  &  Whitney had a strong start at the Farnborough International airshow Monday, when its  PW1100G  geared turbofan engines  were selected by two budget Asian carriers–India’s IndiGo and Cebu Pacific Air of the Philippines–to power the Airbus A320neo family aircraft they have on order. Indigo’s deal represents one of the largest orders in U.S.  engine maker’s history, said the  OEM . The  U.S.  engine manufacturer also announced that Norwegian Air Shuttle signed a memorandum of understanding to power 50 Airbus A320neos with PW1100Gs, with first delivery scheduled for 2016. With its fleet of 57 new Airbus A320s, Indigo is already India’s largest budget carrier (and its only profit-making one). Its agreement for 150 Airbus A320neos includes 300 firm orders for engines, with additional op...

Pratt & Whitney update by president FARNBOROUGH AIR SHOW  »  JULY 10, 2012 by    NEELAM MATHEWS July 10, 2012, 3:00 PM After generating $12.7 billion in revenue in 2011 and having won the first three launch orders for the  Airbus A320neo re-engined narrowbody , Pratt  &  Whitney president David Hess was naturally in an upbeat mood when he faced reporters at the show yesterday. Asked about the move by P&W and  MTU  earlier this year to purchase Rolls-Royce’s share in the International Aero Engines, he replied, “The acquisition will simplify our global market strategy [to] align with our partners and…optimize deals for the A320.” This week Hess was named as board chairman of  IAE . He said Rolls-Royce remains “an important part” of  IAE  in supporting legacy engines, adding that preparations are under way to switch the production line to focus on the new Pratt  & ...

Press Release Posted by Neelam Mathews June 5, 2012 Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) has reached an agreement to sell its P&WC (A'Asia) Pty Ltd's Brisbane, Australia, MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facility to Vector Aerospace Corporation. The sale applies to the assets and facility associated with its PT6A engine repair and overhaul facility located in the area. As part of the transaction, Vector's newly purchased facility will be appointed a Designated Overhaul Facility (DOF) for PT6A engines. P&WC is a United Technologies Corp. company UTX -0.79%  . P&WC will work closely with Vector to ensure a seamless transition for customers, suppliers and employees. The closing is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. "P&WC has been exploring ways to optimize its network while continuing to provide our customers with outstanding service," said Raffaele Virgili, Vice-President, Customer Service, P...

Posted by- Neelam Mathews Sept 5, 2011 Even as the military gets eco-conscious and one hopes to see similar efforts in India, Pratt & Whitney has completed its first EcoPower engine wash on a U.S. Navy SH-60 Seahawk helicopter at Naval Base Coronado, California. The first EcoPower helicopter engine wash signifies that EcoPower services are now available for military helicopters, in addition to large commercial and military aircraft, says P&W. “Helicopters operating in harsh environment with salt and sand need to be washed after almost every flight to maintain performance. EcoPower engine wash is the first environmentally sound solution for washing helicopter engines,” said Lou Quattrocchi, Pratt & Whitney Product Line Management vice president. “The closed-loop system of the EcoPower engine wash uses pure water and no harsh chemicals, making the whole process safe and environmentally responsible. Helicopter engines can now be washed anywhere on the flight line with Eco...

Neelam Mathews July 6, 2011 Time- 11:35pm IST EXCLUSIVE!  Eco Wash for IAF engines? Neelam Mathews July 6, 2011 The Indian military may finally be waking up to the reality of keeping costs down and understanding the power of moving towards a green culture. Pratt & Whitney is in discussions with the Indian Air Force for its EcoPower engine wash for its fleet of aircraft, Aerospace Diary learns from a government official. The Indian air force has around 1400 aircraft. Should the IAF agree to go green, the project will be carried out in phases, starting with western engines of the Mirages first and then after developing manifolds, moving to the Russian engines. The equipment will be based at strategic units at numerous air bases in the country. While the project may not be very lucrative in financial terms, it is bound to get P&W visibility and recognition of its line maintenance services. The EcoPower(R) engine wash service uses a closed-loop system with pure, ato...

March 31, 2011 Time- 11.37pm IST Neelam Mathews India’s budget IndiGo has selected Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1100G engines to power its fleet of 150 new Airbus A320neo family aircraft  against its competitor CFM International Leap-X. IndiGo signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus for 180 single-aisle aircraft earlier this year. Of these, 150 will be of the yet-to-be-produced 'neo' series, and the remaining 30 are the standard A-320s. It is not clear what engines have been chosen for the 30 A320s. IAE is the clear market leader in India. More than 80% of the A320 fleet in service are on order with airlines in India are, or will be, powered by the V2500. Over 300 aircraft in India are powered by engines provided by Pratt & Whitney and International Aero Engines. IndiGo placed the single largest order for the V2500 in 2005 when it purchased engines for a fleet of 100 A320s, supported by a comprehensive V2500Select aftermarket agreement. The value o...