Vietjet selects more GTF-powered Airbus jets
Key Highlights
- The GTF engine offers up to 20% lower fuel consumption and 75% less noise compared to previous-generation engines.
- Pratt & Whitney will provide comprehensive engine maintenance under a 12-year service agreement, supporting fleet reliability.
- The GTF Advantage engine, an upgraded version, will enhance durability, thrust, and range capabilities for future aircraft.
SINGAPORE - Vietjet Air in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and Pratt & Whitney, an RTX business in East Hartford, Conn., announced that the airline has selected an additional 44 GTF-powered Airbus A320neo family aircraft, including 24 A321neos and 20 A321XLRs.
The new order brings Vietjet’s total commitments to 137 GTF-powered aircraft, with deliveries scheduled to begin in July 2026. Pratt & Whitney will also provide engine maintenance under a 12-year EngineWise Comprehensive service agreement.
Vietjet currently operates 42 GTF-powered A321neo aircraft and received its first A321neo in 2018. Prior to the latest announcement, the airline had committed to up to 93 A321neo-family aircraft.
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GTF background
The Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan, or GTF, is a high-bypass turbofan engine that incorporates a reduction gearbox between the fan and the low-pressure turbine. The geared architecture allows the fan and turbine to operate at their optimal speeds, enabling higher bypass ratios, improved propulsive efficiency, and reduced noise compared with conventional direct-drive turbofan designs.
According to Pratt & Whitney, the GTF engine delivers up to 20% lower fuel consumption and a noise footprint up to 75% smaller than previous-generation engines, along with lower nitrogen oxide emissions. More than 2,600 GTF-powered aircraft have been delivered to more than 90 customers worldwide since the engine entered service.
Pratt & Whitney expects the GTF Advantage engine, an enhanced configuration of the GTF platform, to enter service later this year. The GTF Advantage is designed to provide higher takeoff thrust capability, improved durability, and longer time on wing, supporting higher payload and extended-range operations on aircraft such as the A321XLR. The company says the Advantage configuration will be interchangeable with existing GTF engines.
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"Vietjet values our relationship with Pratt & Whitney and its latest generation technology," said Nguyen Thanh Son, managing director of Vietjet. "The GTF engine is powering our growth with industry-leading operating economics and fuel efficiency of up to 20%."
"Ten years ago, Vietjet joined the Pratt & Whitney GTF family, and this selection demonstrates the airline’s continued confidence in the GTF engine," said Rick Deurloo, president of Commercial Engines at Pratt & Whitney. "With this latest order, Vietjet will further benefit from the most efficient engine available for single-aisle aircraft."
Pratt & Whitney said it continues to expand its global GTF maintenance, repair, and overhaul network and increase supply chain capacity to support in-service fleets and future deliveries.