Engine Alliance's GP7200 engine to enter service with Air France

Manufacturer and designer of aircraft engines Pratt & Whitney announced on Friday that Air France was the first airline to select GP7200 engines when it announced its order with the Engine Alliance at the Paris Air Show in 2001.

The Engine Alliance is a 50/50 joint venture of General Electric (NYSE: GE) and Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp (NYSE: UTX).

Air France will reportedly be the first European airline to operate the A380 when it enters revenue service in November.

The company said that since entering revenue service in August 2008, the GP7200 has achieved a departure reliability rating of 99.9% and has experienced no in-flight shutdowns with five aircraft in operation.

The GP7200 is manufactured at GE and Pratt & Whitney, with GE assembling the core in Durham, North Carolina, and Pratt & Whitney manufacturing the fan module, low pressure compressor and low pressure turbine.

Final engine assembly is conducted at Pratt & Whitney's Engine Centre in Middletown, Connecticut. GP7000 Engine Programme participants include SNECMA (France), Techspace Aero (Belgium) and MTU Aero Engines (Germany).

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