Russian aircraft manufacturer Irkut has chosen Pratt & Whitney’s PW1000G geared turbofan engine to power its proposed 150 seat MS-21 commercial airliner, joining the Bombardier CSeries and Mistubishi MRJ which have also selected the PW1000G.
P&W is understood to have been in competition with CFM International’s LEAP-X to provide the engine for the MS-21, which will enter service in 2013. However, CFM is understood to have withdrawn its offer due to concerns about the commercial viability of the airliner. P&W is expected to develop a specialised variant of the engine for the aircraft and will be manufactured with Russian United Engine Building Corp.
P&W and CFM have also put forward competing bids to power the COMAC C919 which is currently under development, with some early reports suggesting that the Chinese manufacturer has selected the LEAP-X engine.
