Alerts Sign-up
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted an exemption for the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engine variants that will power the Airbus A321XLR. This decision allows International Aero Engines (IAE), a consortium including Pratt & Whitney and MTU Aero Engines, to proceed with the certification of these engines for the A321XLR.
The exemption pertains to a specific regulation within the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) concerning bird strikes. The rule requires that ingestion of small and medium birds under certain conditions should not cause more than a sustained 25-percent power or thrust loss. IAE argued that while this is an engine requirement, "the ultimate safety goal is defined in terms of aircraft hazardous conditions, instead of engine hazardous effects."
IAE also highlighted that the A320neo aircraft using these engines must comply with both FAA and European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) standards. These standards outline minimum climb gradients in different configurations.
