BOC Aviation Orders 220 Pratt & Whitney GTF Engines 

‍FARNBOROUGH — BOC Aviation has placed an order for up to 220 Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan (GTF) engines to power 110 Airbus A320neo aircraft. The company announced the deal at this year's Farnborough Airshow.

"With this latest order, BOC Aviation is demonstrating its continued confidence in the GTF, which is the most fuel-efficient engine for single-aisle aircraft," said Rick Deurloo, president of Commercial Engines at Pratt & Whitney. 

The GTF's Reliability Challenges 

The Geared Turbofan technology has allowed the engine to achieve remarkable fuel efficiency, making it the most fuel-efficient narrowbody aircraft engine on the market while also maintaining low noise levels. 

This feat, however, has come with its own set of problems. The geared turbofan technology, while innovative, has suffered from teething, reliability, and maintenance issues, which were further worsened by supply chain disruptions.

The issues have resulted in hundreds of groundings worldwide, with over 600 Pratt & Whitney GTF-powered aircraft grounded at the peak of the crisis due to mandatory inspections and parts shortages.

GTF Upgrades Aim to Improve Durability 

Pratt & Whitney has since worked hard to address these issues and recently announced that it would roll out a hot section upgrade kit for the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engine, which powers the A320neo. 

The manufacturer claims that the upgrade will double the engine's on-wing life compared to older versions, improving performance in harsher environments. BOC Aviation's order shows that the company is confident the new upgrade kit will address the durability issues that have affected the engine.