Engines
Big three engine makers are on target with new technology
Recessions come and go, but the quest to develop ever more efficient engines for the next generation of single-aisle aircraft continues.

Recessions come and go, but the quest to develop ever more efficient engines for the next generation of single-aisle aircraft continues. Given the time it takes to develop new powerplant technologies, which can be measured in decades, engine manufacturers have to be more confident than most of eventual recovery in the airline industry if the millions spent on research and development are not to be wasted.

Despite the continuing slowdown in the air transport sector, all three major larger engine manufacturers–General Electric, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce–have told AIN that they remain totally committed to developing the next generation of engines which will have to meet ever tougher environmental targets while bringing costs of ownership down through improved reliability.