GE Aviation has reported that it powered the Qantas 787-9 with GEnx engines on its historic flight from Perth to London.
On Saturday evening, March 24, around 236 passengers took part in a major milestone in the aviation industry when QF9, taxied down the runway at Perth airport to take off for the first non-stop passenger flight to London – covering more than 9,000 miles with an approximate duration of 17 hours and 20 minutes.
These advanced technologies like carbon fiber composites, developed and tested over years at GE laboratories, have allowed GE Aviation's jet-engine-design team to reduce the engine weight by more than 180 kilos. “The efficiencies achieved through the GEnx engine can save Qantas and other airlines up to US$1.6 million per aircraft in fuel costs each year,” says Max York CEO of GE Australia.
The GEnx's innovative combustor is not only fuel efficient-it also produces fewer emissions than previous engines in its class. The engines run 40% more quietly than previous technology and the turbulence- and vibration-smoothing systems on the Boeing 787 mean that its ride tends toward glide.
The Qantas decision in 2007 to select the GEnx engine for its Dreamliner fleet contributed to GE being the engine supplier of choice for Dreamliner customers over the past decade.
