en.Wedoany.com Reported - Pratt & Whitney expects regulators to approve the PW1100G Geared Turbofan (GTF) hot section upgrade kit around the end of this year, and is preparing for anticipated high customer demand for the kit.
Rick Deurloo, President of Commercial Engines at Pratt & Whitney, stated during a media briefing ahead of the Farnborough Airshow that certification work has entered its final phase and could be completed by the end of this year or early next year, after which the kit will be incorporated into maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services. Pratt & Whitney is producing the kits, expecting the configuration under review to receive approval from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) after completing necessary flight tests.
Announced at the 2025 Paris Air Show, the kit includes approximately 35 hot section components derived from designs developed for the PW1100G Advantage engine and will be used on in-service PW1100G engines. The Advantage engine recently received certification for the Airbus A320neo family, doubling on-wing life compared to most recent pre-Advantage standards. The most advanced baseline PW1100G configuration already includes a series of durability improvements introduced in recent years, partly to address challenges in harsh environments.
Initial allocation of the kit will be based in part on customers' operating environments. Airlines that frequently operate in harsh conditions such as deserts or areas with poor air quality will receive priority for upgrades. Deurloo stated that initially, not every maintenance point will be equipped with the kit, focusing first on the harshest environments before gradually integrating it across the entire fleet.
Pratt & Whitney expects most customers to choose the Hot Section Plus upgrade kit, but a few may consider the latest PW1100G standard sufficient for their needs without investing in the kit. Deurloo noted that some operators have had relatively positive on-wing time experiences, and their upgrade needs may be less urgent than those of other operators.
