East Hartford jet-engine maker Pratt & Whitney Co. said EADS unit Airbus and its rival Boeing Co. could make different decisions on whether to re-engine or redesign their single-aisle A320 and 737 planes, Reuters reports.
Airbus has indicated it is leaning toward putting a new engine in the current design of its A320. Boeing has said its customers seem to favor a new plane, which would take longer to produce but could deliver better fuel efficiency.
Billions of dollars in orders hinge on the decisions by Airbus and Boeing.
Speaking at the Reuters Aerospace and Defense Summit in Washington on Wednesday, Pratt President David Hess also said he hopes Germany’s MTU Aero Engines and Japan’s Aero Engines would join it in its re-engining project.
Still, Hess said Pratt, a unit of United Technologies Corp. in Hartford, was continuing to develop next-generation engines that offer improved fuel efficiency.
“Sooner or later they are going to decide to do something, and we think we’ll be ready and will continue to be in the lead with the best-technology engine that’s out there,” Hess said.
