Aero-Engines - Newest Neo

What is the secret of the A320neo’s stunning success long before its scheduled entry into service in October 2015? The new version will have over 95 per cent airframe commonality with current models, enabling it to fit seamlessly into the existing A320 family fleet.

The Airbus A320 is the world’s most popular narrow-body jet, the “most widely sold” category of commercial passenger planes. At least 8,200 A320 family aircraft have been ordered by 350 customers globally. At the end of August last year, the backlog of orders for the A320 stood at a mind-boggling 3,100. Considering that Airbus currently builds 38 A320 twin-jets per month (scheduled to be ramped up to 42 per month), it should keep the company’s factories in Toulouse (France), Hamburg (Germany) and Tianjin (China) humming for years to come. So why did Airbus feel compelled to announce an efficiency improvement package known as the A320neo (new engine option) now?

Two factors are significant. First, airlines worldwide are in dire financial straits and are scrambling to cut costs in the face of increasing aviation fuel prices. Second, with climate change becoming ever more important in policy making, aviation-related environmental regulations are expected to become tougher. A major development occurred on January 1 this year when the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS) went into effect taxing carbon emissions by all aviation users including non-EU aircraft, at a fixed rate above their allotted emissions credits. The airlines now have a stark choice: reduce emissions or pay up. They are clamouring for manufacturers to come to the rescue. So Airbus formulated the A320neo package with the promise of 15 per cent reduction in fuel burn and emissions practically overnight. A truly irresistible offer! Consequently, within a year of its launch on December 1, 2010, the A320neo became the fastest-selling commercial aircraft programme ever and has already secured a total of 1,450 firm orders and commitments.

A Neat Neo Package

What is the secret of the A320neo’s stunning success long before its scheduled entry into service (EIS) in October 2015? The new version will have over 95 per cent airframe commonality with current models, enabling it to fit seamlessly into the existing A320 family fleet. This is a key consideration for Airbus operators who have received more than 4,900 A320 aircraft as of November 2011. The aircraft comes with the offer of new fuel-efficient engines plus winglets, which Airbus calls ‘sharklets’. Sharklets, which are around 2.5 metres tall, are claimed to increase payload and range, improve take-off performance, and reduce long-haul fuel burn by about 3.5 per cent. Otherwise, the new aircraft is practically the same as the existing A320s with their multifarious advantages, including very high level of reliability (99.7 per cent). Airbus claims that pilots will be ready to fly the A320neo in a couple of hours by doing a simple conversion course on a laptop.

The A320neo comes in two variants offering the latest engine technology—Pratt & Whitney’s PurePower PW1100G geared turbofan or CFM International’s leading edge aviation propulsion (LEAP–1A) turbofan. The PW1100G will be the lead engine during the certification process with EIS planned with Qatar Airways in 2015. Its sophisticated gearing system enables the fan to rotate at relatively low speed while the low pressure compressor and turbine operate at relatively higher speed. This increases overall engine efficiency and reduces fuel burn, emissions and noise. The design that is expected to cost $2 billion ( Rs. 10,000 crore) to develop has fewer engine stages and approximately 1,500 fewer compressor aerofoils which translate to lower weight and reduced maintenance costs. Some experts hail the PurePower PW1000G Geared TurboFan as a “game changer” because it burns 16 per cent less fuel than current engines. Apart from other plaudits, the Time magazine listed it as one of the “50 Best Inventions of 2011” calling it “the most important development in aviation in 2011.” PurePower engines will be built in Pratt & Whitney’s new Mirabel Aerospace Centre in Montreal starting early this year.

CFM International’s LEAP-1A, on the other hand, is a conventional design that employs sophisticated composite materials, next-generation 3D aerodynamics and low-emission combustion techniques in the hot-section (core) of the engine to cut fuel consumption. The A320neo with this engine is slated for EIS in 2016.

Both CFM and Pratt & Whitney are keen to dominate the narrow-body jet market because 70 per cent of all new commercial aircraft in the next 30 years are predicted to come from that category. And since narrow-body planes are designed for shorthaul markets and take-off and land, and with greater frequency than larger long-distance ones, they generate more revenue from maintenance and retrofitting services that the aero-engine industry relies on to bolster its bottomline. Both engines have an estimated list price of $12 million ( Rs. 60 crore), although discounts are the norm to win orders. The engines are also expected to be 30 per cent cheaper to maintain than current models because they have fewer parts. IndiGo Airlines became the first to select the PurePowerPW1100G for its 150 A320neo jets on order.

Which engine is better? Both PW1100G and the LEAP-1A claim similar performance improvements over existing engines. However, they have remarkably different architecture. While the LEAP-1A is a conventional turbofan that employs advanced aerodynamics and material to boost performance, the PW1000G is an unconventional geared turbofan (GTF) that incorporates several design innovations. That is why it is so difficult for airlines to choose between the two. A couple of years or so down the line the picture should be clearer. Till then, perhaps, it all boils down to loyalty. Airlines that currently fly A320s fitted with CFM56-5 engines may be inclined to stick to CFM International ( for the same reason they remain faithful to Airbus), while those operating A320s featuring IAE V2500 engines may be more inclined to choose Pratt’s untried but potentially match-winning offering. Airbus itself is on a rather strong wicket with two engines on offer. If one fails to live up to expectations, there is always the other.