DUBAI -- Emirates has signed a Fleet Management Agreement with the Engine Alliance for the maintenance, repair and overhaul of its GP7200 engines that will power its Airbus A380 fleet. The Fleet Management Agreement is valued at $3 billion (USD) over the life of the contract.
"As the largest customer of the GP7200 engines, Emirates is an important customer for the Engine Alliance and we look forward to working together with them to fulfill their service needs," said Bruce Hughes, president of the Engine Alliance.
Emirates has ordered more than 240 GP7200 engines to power its 55 A380 aircraft and will operate the largest A380 fleet of any airline. Deliveries for the A380 aircraft to Emirates will begin in the third quarter 2008.
The Engine Alliance will manage aftermarket services for the GP7200 engine and utilize the MRO capabilities of its parent companies, General Electric Company and Pratt & Whitney, as well as other MRO facilities in its support network.
The GP7200-powered A380 flight test program is nearing completion in preparation for joint U.S. (FAR25) and European (EASA) aircraft certification in December. The engines have performed flawlessly and have met or bettered all critical targets for performance, durability, noise and emissions. In-flight performance measurements confirm the GP7200 engine is the most fuel-efficient engine for the A380 aircraft - burning less engine fuel than required by the Airbus specification-and is also the most fuel-efficient certified wide-body engine in the world.
The GP7200 engine is one of the most thoroughly tested engines ever developed specifically for a four-engine commercial aircraft. The Engine Alliance subjected the GP7200 engine to 7,000 endurance cycles as part of the certification test program. Post-certification engine testing has continued in an effort to uncover and remedy any hardware durability or reliability issues well before the A380 enters service in 2008. To date, the GP7200 test program has amassed more than 16,500 engine endurance cycles and more than 5,000 hours of ground testing, surpassing the goal of 15,000 endurance cycles prior to entry into service.
The GP7200 is derived from two successful wide-body engine programs, the GE90 and the PW4000. It benefits from the two programs’ latest, proven technologies and the lessons learned from more than 18 million flight hours of safe operation. Certified at 76,500 pounds (340 kN) of thrust, the engine has the capability to produce more than 81,500 pounds (363 kN) of thrust. The GP7200 will ensure the A380 meets stringent Stage 4 noise regulations and QC2 departure noise rules, and its emissions are well below current and anticipated regulations.
The Engine Alliance is a 50/50 joint venture of General Electric (NYSE:GE) and Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX).