AirAsia X (AirAsia) has ordered 150 Airbus A220 aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney GTF™ engines, with the first of these aircraft to be delivered starting in 2028. Pratt & Whitney, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, will provide AirAsia with engine maintenance through a 12-year EngineWise® Comprehensive service agreement.
“Today marks an important milestone as we welcome AirAsia as the newest customer to the GTF family,” said Rick Deurloo, president of Commercial Engines, Pratt & Whitney. “This order reflects the airline’s confidence in the GTF engine and its unmatched fuel efficiency and smaller noise footprint. It establishes a strong foundation for a partnership that will support AirAsia’s growth for the years ahead.”
“AirAsia has spent more than two decades making the world smaller. We built Malaysia into the world’s top low-cost carrier hub, and we opened up air travel to millions of people across Asia who had never flown before. This plane gives us the ability to build the biggest and densest network, serving as a vital tool for efficiency. Its range of up to seven hours, powered by the GTF engines, opens up entirely new possibilities, and allows us to match right-sized capacity to demand and give our guests the flexibility to fly whenever they want through increased frequencies. We have democratized travel in Asia by opening up routes that were never feasible before, and now we are going to do it for the world,” said Bo Lingam, Group CEO of AirAsia X.
AirAsia’s A220 fleet will join over 2,700 GTF-powered aircraft operated globally by more than 90 customers. The GTF fleet has achieved 50 million flying hours, carried 1.9 billion passengers and delivered 3 billion gallons in fuel savings since entering service a decade ago. Pratt & Whitney has received over 13,000 GTF engine orders and commitments to date, reflecting strong market demand for its game-changing benefits. As the most efficient engine for the single aisle market, the GTF delivers 20% lower fuel consumption and a 75% smaller noise footprint compared to the prior generation of engines.