Engine Alliance Enters Revenue Service with Qatar Airways

Oct. 10, 2014
GP7200 engines have entered revenue service with Qatar Airways’ first EA-powered A380. The Engine Alliance is a 50-50 joint venture of GE and Pratt & Whitney

Doha, Qatar, October 10, 2014 — GP7200 engines have entered revenue service with Qatar Airways’ first EA-powered A380. Today the airline operates its first revenue flights between Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar and Heathrow Airport in London, UK.

“We are excited to welcome Qatar Airways to the EA family,” said EA President Dean Athans. “Qatar gains the benefit of three million hours of GP7200 experience, in addition to the GE and Pratt & Whitney experience that have directly benefitted the GP7200 engine. We’re proud to be the engine of choice in the Middle East.”

Qatar Airways received its first A380 from Airbus at a ceremony in Hamburg, Germany on September 16. On September 18, the airline operated an inaugural flight to the new Hamad International Airport, which culminated in a grand unveiling ceremony.

Airlines operating GP7200 engines have enjoyed the merits of the quietest, most reliable and most fuel-efficient powerplant for the A380. The GP7200 engine has sustained an average of 99.9% departure reliability since entry into service. Additionally, customers have benefitted from a fuel savings advantage of up to $1 million per aircraft per year.

The EA-powered A380 entered service in August 2008. Currently 74 EA-powered A380s are in operation around the globe: 53 with Emirates, ten with Air France, ten with Korean Air and one with Qatar Airways. The EA-powered A380 fleet is supported by the world’s largest network, with field service engineers available in more than 100 cities around the globe.

The Engine Alliance is a 50-50 joint venture of GE (NYSE:GE) and Pratt & Whitney (P&W), a division of United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX). Revenue-sharing partners include MTU Aero Engines of Germany, Snecma (SAFRAN) of France and Techspace Aero (SAFRAN) of Belgium.

The GP7200 engine draws from the success of the GE90 and PW4000 programs, which together total more than 62 million engine hours and more than 11 million engine cycles in service. With the ability to incorporate field experience and newly proven technologies from GE and P&W, the Engine Alliance is continuously looking at ways to enhance the GP7200 engine.

For more information about the Engine Alliance, visit www.enginealliance.com.