Pratt & Whitney is introducing the GTF Advantage engine configuration, unveiling a technologically improved geared turbofan engine for the A320neo family. Key optimisations are being supplied by MTU Aero Engines, and the new configuration should be available by January 2024.

The GTF Advantage configuration will reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by another percent each. This will improve the overall picture by 17 percent compared to prior generation engines. P&W says that the move will further extend GTF engine's lead as the most efficient powerplant for the A320neo family. With up to 34,000 pounds of takeoff thrust both at sea level and under "hot and high" conditions, the GTF Advantage configuration will also be the most powerful engine for this aircraft family. The higher thrust rating enables increased range and payload for operators. The new configuration has been undergoing ground and flight testing at Pratt & Whitney for a year now. The GTF Advantage engine is to become the new production standard for A320neo family aircraft.

All key components of the core GTF engine are undergoing technical improvement. In keeping with its shares of the program, this means that MTU Aero Engines, Germany's leading engine manufacturer, is working to optimise the high-pressure compressor and high-speed low-pressure turbine. "With the high-pressure compressor, the focus is on further improving efficiency, which makes a noteworthy contribution to reducing the specific fuel consumption and above all, lowering temperatures in the hot section," explains Dr. Stefan Weber, Senior Vice President Engineering and Technology at MTU. "The design has also been made more resistant to damage in the area of the blisk rotors that can occur when the engine is in operation." Improving efficiency is a central aim for the high-speed low-pressure turbine as well. Weber continues: "The higher-performance active clearance control is a major factor in this."

"We always said our geared fan architecture has a long runway for growth and future development, and the GTF Advantage demonstrates this," says Tom Pelland, Senior Vice President of GTF Engines at Pratt & Whitney. "Our gear system, and the overall engine architecture it enables, are foundational to unlock the benefits of advanced aerodynamics, materials and systems. We are committed to continuing to invest in these technologies for the next generation of commercial aircraft."

Already certified to operate on 50 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), GTF-powered aircraft are capable of even greater levels of CO2 reduction. The GTF Advantage engine will be compatible with 100 percent SAF at entry into service.

Since entering service in early 2016, GTF engines have saved operators more than two billion litres of fuel and avoided more than six million metric tonnes of carbon emissions. Worldwide, GTF engines are in service in more than 1,100 aircraft operated by 58 airlines. They provide thrust in three aircraft families – Airbus A320neo, Airbus A220 and Embraer E-Jets E2.