It seems like the direction of the commercial aviation sector is to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Thus, manufacturers are looking for ways and means to produce environmentally friendly planes. ATR and Pratt & Whitney have teamed up to make a major leap in the aviation industry. They’re developing a new line of turboprop engines that run solely on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). That’s right, a plane engine that’s 100% sustainable!
If you’re not familiar with ATR, they’re an aircraft manufacturer that focuses on making smaller, regional planes that fly into smaller airports. With Pratt & Whitney joining forces, they hope to become a leader in the sustainable aviation market. In fact, they’re aiming to have these engines certified for the ATR 72 and ATR 42 by 2025.
Net-zero carbon emissions
Both companies want to make air travel more environmentally friendly and carbon neutral by 2050. The CEO of ATR, Nathalie Tarnaud Laude, shared her thoughts on the partnership and their efforts to reduce carbon, “It’s our responsibility as an industry to make sure the connections our aircraft provide across the world are sustainable. We need to continue joining forces and increase SAF availability to reach net-zero.”
Pratt & Whitney has already secured certification for their engines to run on 50% SAF, but this new project will make history as it will be the first time they receive certification for an engine to run on 100% SAF. The Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Pratt & Whitney Canada, Anthony Rossi, says, “SAF has a critical role to play in reaching the aviation industry’s goal of net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. Ensuring readiness to operate with 100% SAF blends in the future will allow us to maximize their potential for decarbonization.”
How the partnership started
Just to give you some background, this partnership came about after a successful test flight of an ATR 72 using the PW127 engines filled with 100% SAF last year. The test was a huge success and has led the companies to form this partnership and work towards a common goal. It’s amazing to see companies making such a big impact in the industry and pushing towards sustainability. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for this partnership between ATR and Pratt & Whitney.
First love never dies. I fell in love with airplanes and aviation when I was a kid. My dream was to become a pilot, but destiny led me to another path: to be an aviation digital media content creator and a small business owner. My passion for aviation inspires me to bring you quality content through my website and social accounts. Aviation is indeed in my blood and blog!
