Pratt & Whitney, an RTX business, has received US Federal Aviation Administration certification for the GTF engine that will power the
Airbus A321XLR aircraft. The engine type certificate, granted on 12 December 2024 and applicable to the PW1100G-JM engine, was updated to include the A321XLR.
Rick Deurloo, president of commercial engines at Pratt & Whitney, said: “This is an important milestone for the GTF engine programme, which was the first engine to power the A320neo aircraft family. The longer range and higher payload capability of the Airbus A321XLR aircraft will provide customers with expanded route flexibility to more destinations. A321XLR operators will benefit from the GTF's best-in-class fuel efficiency and the lowest carbon emissions available for single-aisle aircraft.”
Globally, 13 customers have selected GTF engines to power 217 A321XLR aircraft. To date, more than 2,100 GTF-powered aircraft have been delivered to over 80 customers worldwide which offer up to 20% better fuel efficiency compared to aircraft powered by the prior generation of engines. As a result, the GTF engine has saved operators 2 billion gallons of fuel and 20 million metric tons of CO
2, since entry into service in 2016.
The GTF Advantage engine, which is on track for certification and first engine deliveries next year, will provide even more value to customers operating the A321XLR. It will deliver 4-8% higher take-off thrust with up to 1% in additional fuel efficiency and longer time on wing. The GTF Advantage is ideally suited for the A321XLR, further expanding new route options and enabling even better operating economics. The GTF Advantage engine will be fully intermixable and interchangeable with the current version of the GTF.