Aegean picks Pratt & Whitney engines for its A320neo aircraft

Greece’s largest carrier Aegean Airlines picked US engine maker Pratt & Whitney to power up to 62 Airbus A320neo aircraft, the carrier said on Monday.

Aegean Airlines reached an agreement with European planemaker Airbus in March for the order of 42 aircraft worth $5 billion (4.36 billion euros) to renew its fleet of single-aisle planes and add capacity for future expansion.

The order was the largest by a Greek carrier and one of the biggest investments by a private Greek company in recent years.

Aegean Airlines said Pratt & Whitney engines would be used for 30 firm, 12 option, and up to 20 leased aircraft.

“We selected the Pratt & Whitney GTF engine to provide our passengers with the newest and most advanced technology available for our new Airbus aircraft,” said Eftichios Vassilakis, Aegean Airlines’ Chairman.

It did not give the value of the order.

Pratt & Whitney, which already powers many of the airline’s aircraft, will also provide engine maintenance through a long-term service agreement, Aegean said, without disclosing details.

The agreement with Airbus was part of a fleet expansion and renewal program expected to take place between 2020 and 2025. [Reuters]