Pratt & Whitney will come away from this week’s Air Show China in Zhuhai, Guangdong, with about $800 million worth of orders for its V2500 turbofan jet engines, to be installed in Airbus A320ceo aircraft for two airlines. Air China selected the V2500 to power 18 A320ceo family aircraft, and Shenzhen Airlines chose the V2500 engine to power 13 A320ceo jets.
"We appreciate the trust Air China places in our products and people," according to Rick Deurloo, Pratt & Whitney’s SVP for Commercial Engine Sales, Marketing and Customer Support. He made similar comments about the Shenzhen Airlines, and expressed confidence about supporting the airlines and their jets in service.
Air China, based at Beijing Capital International Airport, is China's national flag carrier and a member of the Star Alliance, the world’s largest airline network. Shenzen Airlines, also a part of the Star Alliance, carries passengers, freight, and postal cargo.
The V2500 is a high-bypass turbofan engine installed across the Airbus A320 family and the Airbus Corporate Jet. It is built by Pratt & Whitney through its membership in the IAE International Aero Engines AG consortium, which also includes Pratt & Whitney Aero Engines International GmbH, Japanese Aero Engines Corporation, and MTU Aero Engines GmbH.
According to published reports, Pratt & Whitney confirmed it would assess opportunities to join project proposed by Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China to develop a wide-body passenger jet with Russia's United Aircraft Corporation, an aircraft that would be a potential rival to the Airbus A330s and A350s, and Boeing 777s and 787s. As reported last year, the project would be ready to begin aircraft in 2025, which may be too optimistic.
