Page 37 - AAA SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014 Online Magazine

NEWS
NEWS

First Flight

Airbus A320neo aircraft completes maiden flight with Pratt & Whitney’s PurePower
engines, writes Jay Menon

AIRbUS FLEw ITS FIRST-EVER FLIGhT family in 2011. The maiden flight of the
of its new Airbus A320neo, powered by A320neo was weeks ahead of schedule.
Pratt & Whitney’s PurePower engines, The A320neo with Pratt & Whitney
with the aircraft taking off from Toulouse, engines will be the first variant in the
France late September. Neo Family to receive type certification
“For its maiden flight, the A320neo, followed by its entry into airline service
powered by the PW1100G-JM engines, in the 4th quarter of 2015 with first
lifted off from Blagnac at around 60 operator Qatar Airways.
tonnes. During the flight, which took the “The entire Pratt & Whitney team is
aircraft around southern France, the crew proud to join Airbus in writing the next
explored the aircraft’s flight envelope and chapter of aviation history with the first
systems operation, while the progress flight of the A320neo aircraft,” says Pratt
was monitored by experts on the ground & Whitney President Paul Adams.
in real-time via a direct telemetry link,” “The first flight is yet another
The maiden flight of the an Airbus spokesman says. endorsement of our Geared Turbofan
A320neo was weeks Airbus had selected the PW1100G- (GTF) technology. The A320neo equipped
ahead of schedule. JM engine to launch the A320neo aircraft with our engine will set a new standard

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OBER 2014