Royal Jordanian Selects Pratt & Whitney Engines For New Narrowbody Aircraft

Royal Jordanian Airlines has selected Pratt & Whitney GTF engines to power up to 30 of its narrowbody aircraft.

Significant engine selection

Earlier today, Royal Jordanian Airlines announced the selection of Pratt & Whitney’s GTF engines to power its new Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft. The airline plans to use the P&W GTF engines on its next-generation Embraer 190 E-2 and 195-E2 aircraft.

Within the next 3-5 years, Royal Jordanian plans to replace its entire narrowbody and regional jet fleet. New aircraft with GTF engines will first be delivered in late 2023.

Photo: Pratt & Whitney

Samer Majali, Vice Chairman and CEO of Royal Jordanian, spoke of the significance of the selection of the Pratt & Whitney GFT engines,

“We have selected GTF-powered aircraft for their industry-leading efficiency, longer range and exceptional operating economics. These aircraft will allow us to modernize our fleet and offer new routes, all while keeping airfare affordable and significantly reducing our carbon emissions.”

Royal Jordanian has used P&W engines since the 1960s,

“Pratt & Whitney has been powering Royal Jordanian aircraft since the 1960s, with the Douglas DC-6 and its four Double Wasp engines, followed by the Boeing 707 and 727 in the 1970s and 1980s and the A330 in last decade.” Rick Deurloo, President of Commercial Engines, Pratt & Whitney

GTF Engine

Pratt & Whitney’s GTF engines are the only modern, geared fan in service today. The new system has driven innovation and has reset the bar for what advanced technologies can deliver. The engines have been tested with 100% sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) but are only certified for 50% use.

According to Pratt & Whitney, its GTF engines provide additional sustainability through the following:

• Up to 75% reduction in noise footprint
• Up to 50% reduction in NOx emissions
• Up to 20% reduction in CO2 emissions
• More than 8 million metric tonnes of CO2 avoided to date

“With the addition of these GTF-powered aircraft, Royal Jordanian will benefit from the geared fan technology that revolutionized the industry with dramatic reductions in noise, emissions and fuel consumption.” – Rick Deurloo

Embraer E2

Early last month, Royal Jordanian signed a Memorandum of Understanding adding two models of Embraer E2 jets. According to the MoU, the airline will add ten new E2 aircraft to its fleet, split between the 190 and 195 E2. The airline is no stranger to Embraer aircraft, having operated the E190 and E175 for the past 15 years.

Because the airline is already an Embraer operator, it will save money on pilot training, spare parts provisioning, crew scheduling, and maintenance costs. The next-generation aircraft also offer 25.4% better fuel efficiency per seat and 16% less fuel consumption than the previous E Jets.

New Airbus aircraft

A few days before signing the MoU for new Embraer aircraft, Royal Jordanian announced the purchase of 20 new Airbus A320neos. The new aircraft will replace the 13 A320s currently in the airline’s fleet. Royal Jordanian’s A320s are presently used on the airline’s multiple short to medium-haul routes throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.