RTX unit Pratt & Whitney has delivered the first Airbus A321XLR powered by its GTF Advantage engines to United Airlines, with the aircraft entering commercial service as the first of its kind to fly passengers. The handover took place in East Hartford, Connecticut, and puts United at the front of the launch for Pratt & Whitney’s newest geared turbofan variant.
The engine is pitched at long-range single-aisle operations, offering up to twice the time on wing of the current GTF, 4% to 8% more take-off thrust and full interchangeability with today’s engine model. Pratt & Whitney plans to move its entire PW1100G-JM production line to the Advantage specification by 2028, while current GTF operators will be able to adopt the Hot Section Plus upgrade during maintenance visits from early next year.