United Airlines has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321XLR in Hamburg, with the aircraft fitted with Pratt & Whitney GTF Advantage engines. The jet, registered N64322, is the first aircraft powered by the upgraded engine to be delivered to a customer and gives United a long-range narrowbody built for thinner routes that do not justify a widebody.
Pratt & Whitney says the GTF Advantage delivers 4% to 8% more takeoff thrust than the current GTF and can remain on wing for up to twice as long, features aimed at supporting the A321XLR’s extended mission profile. The engine is fully intermixable and interchangeable with the existing GTF, easing mixed-fleet operations for carriers operating both variants.
RTX and Pratt & Whitney plan to transition the entire PW1100G-JM production line to the Advantage specification by 2028. For existing operators, a Hot Section Plus upgrade is due to become available during maintenance visits early next year, offering a partial durability improvement path for current GTF fleets.