EASA Greenlights PW1100G Upgrade Certification

DUBAI—Pratt & Whitney has received EASA certification for a PW1100G durability improvement thrust rating change which will enable the use of reduced climb thrust on the Airbus A320neo family.

The software change, which will be available to operators via an imminent Airbus service bulletin, is designed for use on the 27,000 lb. and 33,000 lb.-thrust rated variants of the PW1100G. “Effectively, it’s taking the engine and cooling it down in climb so it’s going to add more time on wing,” says Rick Deurloo, president of commercial engines at Pratt, speaking here at Dubai Airshow.

The update is expected to lead to between a 5% and 20% improvement in time on wing, depending on the condition of the engine, or whether it has been recently built or overhauled. The upgrade, which is available as a basic electronic engine control software update, will provide an incremental durability improvement on top of the Advantage or hot section retrofit package dubbed HS+.

While EASA and FAA approvals will enable immediate reciprocal incorporation in some countries, for others—such as India—it will require additional regulatory scrutiny.

The HS+ package remains in flight testing on the company’s Boeing 747SP flying testbed. Pratt intends a targeted approach for initial installations of the hot section retrofit, expected to begin at its MRO sites in 2026. What will pace incorporation will be the industrial ramp, Deurloo says.

“Every customer is different, we prioritize who would benefit the most,” he says. “So it doesn't mean that 100% of the fleet will get it; I think ultimately they will. But industrially, as we get capacity, as we get more and more of this configuration available, we're going to prioritize how we put that in the market.”