Pratt & Whitney's PurePower Geared Turbofan engine cited as an aviation climate solution

Pratt & Whitney's PurePower Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine was cited as an Aviation Climate Solution by the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) at the Global Sustainable Aviation Summit in Geneva, Switzerland. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. company.

The GTF's engine technology reduces commercial aircraft fuel burn and carbon dioxide emissions by more than 16 percent, reduces regulated emissions by more than 50 percent and will reduce CO2 emissions at a level equivalent to planting nearly 1 million trees or removing 3 million cars off the road – every year. The engine reduces the aircraft noise footprint by more than 75 percent. Five airframers have chosen the GTF engine to power their new aircraft or re-engine existing models.

Pratt & Whitney's GTF is included as part of the Aviation Climate Solutions, a collection of 100 examples of collaboration within the aviation industry to cut carbon dioxide emissions and help reduce its impact on climate change.

"Aviation plays a vital role in the world economy, providing connectivity for people and business," said Michael Gill, executive director, ATAG. "Our industry has also taken a lead in climate action, putting in place a comprehensive framework and goals to reduce emissions from air transport. The Aviation Climate Solutions are a set of case studies showing how different parts of the industry all over the world, including Pratt & Whitney are working together to reduce our climate impact."

Aviation Climate Solutions was released at the Global Sustainable Aviation Summit in Geneva, Switzerland, alongside an open letter from industry chief executives that reaffirms the industry's commitment to climate action and calls on governments to support it with the development of a global market-based measure for aviation emissions, improved efficiency in air traffic management and accelerating research for alternative fuels and new technology.

Pratt & Whitney is committed to identifying, developing and incorporating new technologies that reduce the environmental impact of its products and services worldwide.

"The PurePower Geared Turbofan engine provides immense value to the future of sustainable aviation," said Dr. Alan Epstein, Pratt & Whitney's vice president, Technology and Environment. "Its development spurred a new period of innovation among commercial aircraft manufacturers."

In 2008, the aviation sector became the first to set global goals to proactively manage its climate change impact. The industry will stabilize its net CO2 emissions from 2020 through a concept called carbon-neutral growth, whereby traffic would continue to rise to meet social and economic demands, but growth would be offset through a global market-based measure. The longer-term goal is to reduce net CO2 emissions from aviation to half of what they were in 2005, by 2050.