Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp., today announced its PW1500G engine has been granted 180 minute Extended Range Operations (ETOPS) certification by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). ETOPS certification sets the maximum allowed amount of single-engine flying time that an aircraft can be from the nearest suitable airport. Pratt & Whitney's PW1500G engine exclusively powers the Airbus A220-100 and A220-300 aircraft fleet.

"It's with a great sense of pride that we achieved this significant milestone," said Tom Pelland, senior vice president of commercial engine programs at Pratt & Whitney. "We are proud to power over 30 A220 aircraft in service today and, with this latest ETOPS certification, look forward to continuing to watch our customers expand their route networks with extended range capabilities. Congratulations to the Pratt & Whitney, Bombardier and Airbus teams who have worked diligently to make engine ETOPS certification a reality for the program."

To date, the GTF-powered Airbus A220 fleet has flown nearly 150,000 engine flight hours with three operators, traveling to 145 destinations. The GTF engines continue to meet performance benefits including up to 20% lower fuel consumption, 50% reduction in NOx emissions to the regulatory standard, and 75% reduction in noise footprint.