Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies, and Korean Air Lines recently celebrated delivery of the airline’s first Bombardier CS300 aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney’s Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine. Bombardier hosted a delivery ceremony in Mirabel, Canada where both C Series and GTF final assembly take place.

“Today we celebrate delivery of our first GTF-powered C Series aircraft. We are excited for the dramatic improvements in efficiency, emissions, and noise that will enhance our operations and passenger experience,” said Soo-Keun Lee, chief technology officer at Korean Air.

“This is a very important milestone for the C Series program because it is our breakthrough into the fast-growing Asian market, and we are honoured to have Korean Air Lines as our brand ambassador in the region,” said Fred Cromer (main picture), president of Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. “We expect that over the next 20 years, Asian operators will take delivery of 2,870 small single-aisle aircraft. We are thrilled that Korean Air is the first in the region to showcase the CS300 aircraft’s outstanding performance and capabilities.”

Since entering into service in early 2016, the GTF engine has demonstrated its promised ability to reduce fuel burn by 16 percent to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 50 percent to the regulatory standard, and to lower the noise footprint by 75 percent.

“We are thrilled for Korean Air to receive their first CS300 aircraft,” said Rick Deurloo, senior vice president of sales, marketing and customer support at Pratt & Whitney. “Pratt & Whitney has shared a long standing relationship with KAL dating back to the late 1940’s and we look forward to powering their new-generation fleet.”