Singapore -- The Engine Alliance GP7200 has marked 18 months in revenue service. Since entering service with the world's largest A380 fleet, Emirates, in August 2008, the GP7200 has achieved a departure reliability rating of 99.9% and experienced no in-flight shutdowns.
"We're delighted - and more importantly, our customers are delighted - with the operational performance of the GP7200," Engine Alliance President Mary Ellen Jones said. "In addition to the exceptional reliability of the engine, the fuel performance is even better than we expected."
There are nine GP7200-powered A380s in service. Recent Engine Alliance milestones include the first GP7200-powered A380 delivery to Air France in October 2009, and in December, the GP7200 reached 100,000 hours of revenue service. Other Engine Alliance customers include Air Austral, Etihad, ILFC and Korean Air.
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 25 million flight hours of successful 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. In addition to being the quietest, most fuel efficient engine for the A380, the GP7200 engine has emissions that are well below current and anticipated regulations.
The GP7200 is manufactured at GE and Pratt & Whitney, with GE manufacturing the high pressure compressor, combustor and high pressure turbine, and Pratt & Whitney manufacturing the fan module, low pressure compressor and low pressure turbine. Final engine assembly is conducted at Pratt & Whitney's Engine Center in Middletown, Connecticut. GP7000 Engine Program participants include SNECMA (France), Techspace Aero (Belgium) and MTU Aero Engines (Germany).
The Engine Alliance is a 50/50 joint venture of General Electric (NYSE:GE) and Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp.