ATR and Pratt & Whitney Canada combine efforts to achieve 100% SAF readiness

As the aviation industry continues the slow path to sustainability, Pratt & Whitney Canada and ATR Aircraft manufacturer, today announced an agreement to collaborate to achieve 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) readiness in PW127 series engines by 2025.

This will include the PW127XT engine which recently entered service with Air Cosisca last year.

In June 2022, ATR, Pratt & Whitney Canada and Braathens Regional Airlines jointly conducted a successful flight test on an ATR 72-600 aircraft with both PW127M engines fueled exclusively with SAF.

ATR aims to obtain the 100% SAF certification for its ATR 42 and 72 aircraft by 2025.

In Quotes

Anthony Rossi, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Pratt & Whitney Canada said

“Our collaboration with ATR will be underway throughout 2023 and 2024 and builds on our recent 100% SAF test flight with Braathens Regional Airlines, which was an industry first for regional aviation,” said 

“Alongside our efforts to continually enhance aircraft engine efficiency, SAF has a critical role to play on the journey to achieve the aviation industry’s goal of net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. While all Pratt & Whitney Canada engines have already been certified for 50% SAF blends for more than a decade, ensuring readiness to operate with 100% SAF blends in future will allow us to maximise their potential for decarbonisation.”

Nathalie Tarnaud Laude, ATR’s Chief Executive Officer, added:

“It is our collective responsibility as an industry to continue taking action to ensure that the vital connections provided by our aircraft across the globe are operated sustainably. We have recently demonstrated with our collaborators, Braathens Regional Airlines and Pratt & Whitney Canada, that ATR aircraft are SAF-ready. Now, we need to continue to join forces to increase SAF availability, as part of our common journey towards net-zero.”

A Target to meet – or beat

Demonstration flights are one thing – where things are carefully choreographed to deliver the result that is wanted. Production and making it into a reality time after time is the real challenge.

SAF is an important part of the aviation “net-zero” ambitions, as it seeks to transition away from traditional kerosine. With engines ready for a 50% SAF/Kerosene mix, the logical conclusion is to go 100% SAF.

Providing, of course, enough SAF supplies exist.

With bigger players keeping their eyes on how to integrate SAF (either in 100% form, 50% form and so on), it’s a real chance for the industry to shine.