Transport Canada Civil Aviation has type certified the Pratt & Whitney PW127XT-M regional turboprop engine that will power new builds of ATR aircraft.

Revealed at the Dubai Airshow in November 2021, the PW127XT-M engine is reckoned to offer 40% extended time on wing, 20% lower maintenance costs and 3% improvement in fuel efficiency. Regional turboprops currently offer up to 40% improvement in fuel efficiency compared with similar missions for the 30-70 passenger regional jet aircraft market.

“We worked closely with ATR earlier this year on the flight testing of our new PW127XT-M and the previous generation PW127M engines using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF),” says Timothy Swail, vice president, Regional Aviation and APU Product Marketing and Sales for Pratt & Whitney Canada. “Most notably, Braathens Regional Airlines flew one of its ATR 72-600 aircraft using 100% SAF in both its PW127M engines with excellent results.

“The PW127XT-M engine is the new standard for operating economics, maintenance and sustainability for regional aircraft. This certification is an important step toward the entry into service of new ATR aircraft and we continue to support ATR as it builds a strong order book.”

In June, Pratt and Whitney Canada announced that Deutsche Aircraft had selected the PW127XT engine to power the new D328eco. The selected engine model, the PW127XT-S, will be developed according to the D328eco timeline.