AirAsia X has ordered 150 Airbus A220 aircraft, all equipped with Pratt & Whitney GTF engines from RTX. Deliveries will begin in 2028, accompanied by a 12-year EngineWise Comprehensive service agreement for engine maintenance.
The order covers the single-aisle A220, designed for routes up to seven hours. AirAsia plans to use the aircraft to match capacity to demand on various routes, including high-frequency operations like Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, where fewer seats than its 244-seat A321neos would improve margins.
Pratt & Whitney noted that the GTF engines offer 20% lower fuel consumption and a 75% smaller noise footprint compared to previous-generation engines for the single-aisle market. The global GTF fleet has logged 50 million flight hours, carried 1.9 billion passengers, and saved 3 billion gallons of fuel since entering service.
Over 2,700 GTF-powered aircraft operate with more than 90 customers worldwide. Pratt & Whitney has received over 13,000 GTF engine orders and commitments. AirAsia previously selected CFM LEAP engines for its A320neo-family orders, which exceed 350 aircraft.