Aircraft

A Boeing 737-300 of UK leisure carrier Jet2 has become the first aircraft to begin flying with Pratt & Whitney-supplied parts in one of its CFM56-3 engines.

P&W president David Hess revealed at the show that the engine is now in service with the Leeds/Bradford airport-based airline, marking a key milestone for the company's Global Material Services (GMS) business.

P&W confirmed that the powerplant has been flying since the beginning of this month and operates about 10 sectors a day.

It has been fitted with ten of the 19 life-limited parts manufactured for the CFM56 by P&W following approval by the European Aviation Safety Agency under a supplementary type certificate (STC).

The entry into service is particularly welcome for P&W after the US manufacturer saw the biggest of its three GMS launch customers - United Airlines - retire the fleet of Boeing 737 Classics that were due to be fitted with the parts.

But in a briefing at Le Bourget, Hess said P&W would now be focusing on developing parts for the CFM56-5 and -7 engines, powering Airbus and current Boeing 737s respectively, rather than moving into any other engine family.

The company had previously indicated that it planned a decision on a second engine family this year.

Today Hess said: "We are certainly moving ahead with GMS material on the CFM56-3. We had a little bit of a setback with United Airlines, who are retiring the 737, but a lot of interest from other airlines.

"Jet2 has an engine flying, and we are looking at the next phase of the programme now, which would be similar parts for the -5 and -7. We are not looking at anything else right now."

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