Pratt & Whitney Says GTF Upgrade Kit On Track For 2027 Rollout

MIDDLETOWN, Conn.—Pratt & Whitney anticipates regulators will sign off on the PW1100G geared turbofan (GTF) hot section upgrade kit around the end of the year and is preparing for anticipated high demand for the performance-improving package from customers.

“We’re going through final certification right now,” Pratt & Whitney Commercial Engines President Rick Deurloo said during a recent, pre-Farnborough Airshow media briefing here. “It’ll probably get over the finish line sometime by the end of this year, early next year, and we’ll start incorporating those into our MRO visits.”

Pratt is producing kits in anticipation of the under-review configuration earning European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) sign-off following required flight testing.

“It will be rolled out into the market starting simultaneously to certification, effectively,” Deurloo said.

Allocation of the initial kits will be based in part on customers’ operating environments. Airlines that fly regularly in harsh conditions, such as desert regions or areas with low air quality, will be prioritized.

“I’m not going to have it for every shop [initially],” Deurloo said. “We’re going to look at our most harsh environments and put it in there first, and then over time we’ll incorporate it within the fleet.”

Announced during the 2025 Paris Air Show, the kits incorporate about 35 hot section parts developed for the PW1100G Advantage engine into in-service PW1100Gs. Recently certified for the Airbus A320neo family, the Advantage is designed to double on-wing life compared to most updated pre-Advantage standard. The most advanced baseline PW1100G configuration includes a series of durability improvements rolled out in recent years in part to address challenges in harsher environments.

Pratt anticipates most customers will opt for the Hot Section Plus upgrade as it becomes available, though a few may determine the latest PW1100G standard meets their needs compared to investing in the kit.

“Some operators are having a relatively very positive experience with time on wing, where they may not need [the upgrade] to the same degree others would,” Deurloo said.