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Engine Alliance enters revenue service with Etihad Airways

January 05, 2015

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates — GP7200 engines have entered revenue service with Etihad Airways’ first EA-powered A380. The airline operated its first revenue flights on December 27, 2014 between Abu Dhabi International Airport and London Heathrow Airport.

“We are excited to welcome Etihad Airways to the Engine Alliance family,” said EA President Dean Athans. “Etihad gains the benefit of more than 3 million hours of GP7200 experience, in addition to the PW4000, GE90 and GEnx experience that have directly benefitted the GP7200 engine. We are proud to be the engine of choice in the Middle East.”

Airlines operating GP7200 engines have enjoyed the merits of the quietest, most reliable and most fuel-efficient powerplant for the A380. The GP7200 engine has sustained an average of 99.9% departure reliability since entry into service. Additionally, customers have benefitted from a fuel savings advantage of up to $1 million per aircraft per year.

The EA-powered A380 entered service in August 2008. Currently 82 EA-powered A380s are in operation around the globe: 57 with Emirates, ten with Air France, ten with Korean Air, four with Qatar Airways and one with Etihad Airways. The EA-powered A380 fleet is supported by the world’s largest network, with field service engineers available in more than 100 cities around the globe.

The Engine Alliance is a 50-50 joint venture of GE (NYSE:GE) and Pratt & Whitney (P&W), a division of United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX). Revenue-sharing partners include MTU Aero Engines of Germany, Snecma (SAFRAN) of France and Techspace Aero (SAFRAN) of Belgium.

The GP7200 engine draws from the success of the GE90 and PW4000 programs, which together total more than 67 million engine hours and more than 12 million engine cycles in service. With the ability to incorporate field experience and newly proven technologies from GE and P&W, the Engine Alliance is continuously looking at ways to enhance the GP7200 engine.

For more information about the Engine Alliance, visit www.enginealliance.com.