- What the two aviation giants are going to use the money for
The Federal Aviation Administration has awarded Pratt & Whitney and GE Aviation each $25 million to develop airplane engines that will reduce noise, emissions, and fuel consumption. The companies said in separate news releases they will match the FAA’s funding to work on technologies that will make jet engines more fuel efficient, leading to lower emissions, and helping to make air travel more sustainable.
Pratt & Whitney, based in East Hartford, said it ushered in a new era of commercial propulsion with the introduction of the geared turbofan engine for single-aisle aircraft in 2016. Since its introduction, the GTF family of engines has helped 54 operators save more than 500 million gallons of jet fuel and avoid 4.9 million metric tons of carbon-dioxide over 9.3 million flight hours, the company said.
GE Aviation said it will use the funding to accelerate development of technologies such as open fan engine architecture, electrification, noise-lowering technologies, and more, as well as ongoing research into alternative jet fuels. GE Aviation and Safran, partners in CFM International, in June launched a technology development program targeting more than 20% lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions compared to today’s most efficient engines.
