Pratt & Whitney’s PW4000 Advantage70 engine successfully completed its first flight aboard an Air Comet A330-200 in Toulouse, France, this week. The first Advantage70 flight marks the beginning of a flight test program that will continue through early April. The first PW4000-100″ engines with the Advantage70 technology upgrade, each of which deliver 70,000 pounds of thrust for the A330 aircraft family, are scheduled to enter into service in mid-2009.
Advantage70 technology upgrades deliver enhanced engine performance, including a 2 percent thrust increase, a 1 percent reduction in fuel consumption, increased durability, and reduced maintenance costs. The A330-200 and A330-300 passenger aircraft will be the first to fly PW4000-100″ engines with Advantage70 in mid-2009 on Air Comet and Air Caraibes respectively.
