Pratt & Whitney (a division of United Technologies Corp) and EgyptAir (the ‘official flag carrier’ of Egypt) have announced the delivery of the first Airbus A220 aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney GTF engines.

EgyptAir announced its selection of the GTF engine to power up to 24 Airbus A220 aircraft in 2017.

Rick Deurloo, chief customer officer at Pratt & Whitney (www.pw.utc.com), said: “The history between Pratt & Whitney and EgyptAir dates back to 1946, with the Beechcraft Model 18 aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney WASP engines.

"Since then, we have been proud to power EgyptAir aircraft over the past decades, and now to partner together in the expansion of their fleet with the GTF-powered A220s.”

The A220 powered by the GTF engine is said to offer a ‘double-digit’ improvement in operating costs compared to current-generation aircraft.

It is 20% more fuel-efficient and provides a 75% reduction in noise footprint and NOx emissions.