By Robert Wall
FARNBOROUGH, England--The General Electric Co. (GE) and Pratt
& Whitney partnership has identified a range of options to
upgrade the engine on the Airbus A380 super-jumbo as the plane's
biggest user, Emirates Airline, pushes for a more fuel-efficient
model.
Engineers for the Engine Alliance, as the joint venture is
called, have devised small steps to yield 0.5% to 1% fuel burn
improvements, a more extensive package of upgrades to gain 2% to 5%
savings, and a redesign that would provide an even bigger leap,
said Dean Athans, who heads the partnership.
The technical staff will now spend some time choosing between
the individual technologies, Mr. Athans said. The Engine Alliance
hasn't yet reviewed the business case for the different options
that would be required before an investment decision is made.
Emirates Airline President Tim Clark, the largest buyer of A380
super-jumbos with 140 ordered, has been urging Airbus to upgrade
the jet with new engines. The airline currently operates all its
A380s with turbines from the Engine Alliance, but is running a
competition for 50 more of the aircraft that it bought last year,
involving Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC.
Mr. Clark said in April that a new engine from Rolls-Royce alone
should reduce A380 fuel consumption by up to 9% with other aircraft
enhancements leading to double-digit efficiency gains.
Fabrice Bregier, chief executive for the commercial plane unit
at Airbus, said this week at the Farnborough air show that a
decision on upgrading the A380 wouldn't be taken anytime soon.
The Engine Alliance is already making some upgrades to its
engine to address concerns Mr. Clark raised about the equipment's
reliability. A package of upgrades involving around 25 parts
changes and changes to new engines should fix the shortfalls, Mr.
Athans said.
The engine partnership also believes the upgrades will boost the
time engines can fly without major repair by 75%.
Write to Robert Wall at robert.wall@wsj.com
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