GEnx-1Bs Burn Two Percent Less Fuel Than Rivals In Early 787 Operations, Claims GE

Operators of Boeing 787s powered by the latest-standard GEnx-1Bs are promised real fuel savings over similar aircraft with competing engines, according to engine maker General Electric. The powerplants also will be more durable and remain “on wing” longer if equipped with two performance improvement packages: PIPs I and II.

The latter is scheduled for certification at the end of this year, with PIP I–which was primarily driven by a requirement to improve fuel consumption–having received U.S. Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness approval last month. The two-stage enhancement aims to ensure that the engines meet Boeing’s original fuel-burn specification, while also offering higher thrust that will support growth in aircraft weights, perhaps including the 787-10X being mulled by Boeing.