Alcoa Inc, the US aluminium group, has signed a $1.1 billion deal to supply jet-engine parts to Pratt & Whitney, including the world’s first lightweight aluminium-alloy fan blade.

In a statement, the New York group said that it has developed the forging for the new aluminium fan blade for Pratt & Whitney’s PurePower engines, using an advanced aluminium alloy and a proprietary manufacturing process.

Alcoa chief executive Klaus Kleinfeld said: “We’re going where no materials scientist has gone before. Combining Alcoa’s proprietary alloys and unique manufacturing processes with Pratt & Whitney’s design, we ‘cracked the code’ on forging an aluminium fan blade that is lighter and enables better fuel efficiency.”