P&W Field Support Team Powers Widerøe’s Entry into the Jet Age
The Pratt & Whitney GTF engine is engineered for the future, making it a perfect fit for an airline looking to enter a new era of aviation. Widerøe, a longtime operator of Pratt & Whitney PW100 turboprop engines, is now set to take delivery of its first turbofan-powered aircraft in April. This will be a very special aircraft: Widerøe is the launch customer for the Embraer E190-E2, an aircraft powered exclusively by GTF engines.
Widerøe is the largest regional airline in Scandinavia, operating more than 450 flights per day and carrying 2.8 million passengers annually to 46 domestic and international destinations. The super-modern E190-E2 aircraft will be put into operation on new domestic and international routes.
The Bodø-based airline has been a part of the Pratt & Whitney family since the late 1940s, and currently operates a fleet of 41 PW100-powered Bombardier Q-Series turboprop aircraft. To date Field Service Representative Tommy Berggren has been supporting the PW100-powered Widerøe fleet for 19 years. Going forward he will also be supporting Widerøe with the APS2600E auxiliary power unit (APU), also made by Pratt & Whitney, which is the sole APU for the E190-E2.
“Widerøe has been a valued customer for close to seven decades,” said Berggren. “It’s exciting to be a part of Widerøe’s growth and play a role in their introduction to turbofan-powered aircraft operation.”
When the E2 enters service in April 2018, Field Service Representative Brian Chadwell will also have been supporting Widerøe for well over a year. He has been helping the airline learn and prepare for the GTF engines that power the E190-E2, strengthening Pratt & Whitney’s longstanding relationship with Widerøe.
“Widerøe’s focus on reducing environmental impact and adopting green technology makes the GTF engine an excellent fit for them,” said Chadwell. “Their commitment to the Pratt & Whitney engine family shows their confidence in our ability to provide excellent products and support.”
Chadwell provides valuable GTF expertise to Widerøe personnel as they prepare to enter service with their first turbofan engine.
“The GTF engine is much easier to work on than previous- generation engines,” said Brian. “For example, the GTF engine has more borescope ports and eliminates the need for borescope port safety wire. The engine was also designed in a way that consolidates external fuel lines, which makes line maintenance much easier.”
Widerøe has firm orders for three E190-E2 aircraft; the first scheduled for delivery on April 4. The efforts of the Pratt & Whitney field service team will support Widerøe well into the future.
