Pratt & Whitney and the LATAM Group have selected the GTF engines to power their A320neo and A321neo aircraft, adding to their initial order placed in 2013 for forty aircraft. This new agreement will power 146 new NEO aircraft. Additionally, Pratt & Whitney will also provide the airline with maintenance through a long-term EngineWise full-service agreement.
“At LATAM, we are committed not only to connecting South America with the world but also to caring for the environment and reducing our carbon footprint. We are proud to strengthen our alliance with Pratt & Whitney to power our A320neo family, which will allow us to do so as we expect to increase this fleet by over 100 units in the coming years,” said Roberto Alvo, CEO of the LATAM Airlines Group.
The company reportedly placed an order for 70 A320neo family aircraft from Airbus in 2021, adding another 17 A321neo, bringing the total number of pending Airbus aircraft deliveries for the Group to 100 units, of which one-third have already been delivered.
“Our relationship with LATAM, including its predecessor LAN Airlines, goes back over seven decades with the Twin Wasp engine on the Douglas DC-3 aircraft,” said Rick Deurloo, President of Commercial Engines at Pratt & Whitney. “The GTF engines are already delivering exceptional economic and sustainability benefits to LATAM, and we look forward to providing even greater value in the years to come.”
The Pratt & Whitney GTF engines offer the highest fuel efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions, according to the manufacturer. Aircraft with GTF engines reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 16% to 20%, NOx emissions by up to 50%, and noise footprint by up to 75% compared to their previous engines. They are also certified to operate with 50% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and have been successfully tested with 100% SAF.
Currently, the LATAM Group operates 40 Airbus A319, 130 A320ceo, 16 A320neo, and 49 A321ceo aircraft in its subsidiaries in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil. Additionally, LATAM operates over 80 A319ceo, A320ceo, and A321ceo aircraft with V2500 engines and 16 Airbus A320neo family aircraft with Pratt & Whitney GTF engines. Half of its fleet also operates with CFM engines, produced by Safran and General Electric, in the three variants of the Airbus A320ceo family.
