Rick Deurloo, president of Commercial Engines at Pratt & Whitney (left) and Michael Szucs, Cebu Pacific CEO, signed an agreement that will see deliveries of 15 GTFs beginning in 2025.
SINGAPORE—Pratt & Whitney has announced orders for the GTF engine from Cebu Pacific Air, JetSMART and VietJet Air at the Singapore Airshow.
Chilean ULCC JetSMART selected the engine to power an additional 35 Airbus A320neo-family aircraft, including nine A321XLRs. It currently has 87 A320neo-family aircraft on order, according to the Aviation Week Network Fleet Discovery database, and the carrier operates a fleet of 19 in-service aircraft, a mix of both the A320neo and ceo family.
JetSMART has also concluded a support package with the engine OEM for inspections of GTF engines, Pratt & Whitney says. The airline calls its GTF order a “key element” in reducing its fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
“All of this contributes to our ULCC model,” says Estuardo Ortiz, JetSMART CEO.
The order from Cebu Pacific Air will see deliveries of GTFs begin in 2025 to power an additional 10 Airbus A321neos and five A320neos.
Currently operating 33 GTF-powered A320neo-family aircraft, Cebu has another 27 A320neo-family aircraft on order, Fleet Discovery data shows, and in January the carrier confirmed it remained in negotiations for an order of up to 150 narrowbodies. In late 2023, Cebu projected it would have to ground up to 20 of its neos through 2024 due to ongoing accelerated GTF inspections. The airline cited fuel and carbon emissions savings among its reasons for the engine selection.
“The substantial improvements in fuel burn are a part of our ongoing commitment to reduce our environmental footprint,” says Michael Szucs, CEO of Cebu Pacific.
VietJet has selected GTF engines for a follow-on A321neo order, as it exercises options for an additional 19. The low-cost Vietnam-based carrier currently operates 24 of the aircraft type, with commitments for up to 87.
“This order allows us to not only increase the number of routes we offer in Vietnam, but also allows us to grow internationally,” said VietJet CEO Dinh Viet Phuong.
All three airlines have also elected for GTF maintenance support, through an EngineWise Comprehensive service agreement with Pratt & Whitney.
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