LONDON – The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has certified ATR’s PW127XT-M engine that will power both the 72 and the 42.
This particular engine, built by Pratt & Whitney, was first revealed at the Dubai Airshow last year and is due to enter service with Air Corsica, its launch customer, by the end of this year.
Boasting the latest materials and technologies available on the market, the new engine series enables next-level efficiency and extended time (XT) on the wing for its aircraft, bringing benefits of a 20% reduction in maintenance costs and a 3% improvement in fuel consumption compared to the PW127-M.
Commenting on this milestone was Stephane Viala, ATR’s Senior VP of Engineering:
“Receiving EASA type certification is an important step towards entry into service of this new standard engine on our ATR aircraft”.
“ATR teams have been working with our partners at Pratt & Whitney Canada and the authorities to secure certification and move closer to providing customers with even more economical and sustainable powered regional turboprop aircraft.”
“With maintenance cost benefits, CO2 savings, and SAF capability, it will help airlines such as Air Corsica, our launch customer, fulfill its industry pledges towards low-emission aviation.”
Also commenting on this milestone was Anthony Rossi, the VP of Sales & Marketing at Pratt & Whitney:
“The certification of ATR aircraft powered by our PW127XT-M engine is good news for the Regional Aviation segment as it delivers 40% more time on the wing, 20% fewer maintenance costs, and a 3% improvement in fuel consumption compared to the PW127-M”.
“ATR and P&WC have worked diligently to achieve this certification less than a year after the game-changing engine was unveiled. We congratulate ATR on this important milestone”.
The EASA certification follows that of Engine certification by Transport Canada Civil aviation and Engine EASA certification, which was achieved respectively in August and early September.
A Game-changing Engine…
It remains clear that this engine is going to be a game-changer for the regional market, especially with its capability in Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF).
With there being mounting pressure on the sector to adopt such fuels in the wake of climate change, customers of ATR will be able to benefit from this functionality.
On the maintenance front, customers will begin to see the cost benefits of fewer times in the workshop as well as better fuel efficiency than the standard ATR engine.
This is something that ATR will be keen to offer to its customers, old and new.
Overall…
It remains clear that ATR is pressing ahead with new innovations for a set of ATR projects that have been in operation for many years.
Looking ahead, it’s going to be interesting to see what else the manufacturer is going to work on, especially with an enhanced focus on sustainability, as the aviation sector aims to be net zero by 2050.
But for now, the industry awaits the manufacturer’s next milestone, which will be the subsequent delivery of the new engine type to launch customer Air Corsica.
