A major regulatory development has opened new aviation opportunities on the European continent for single engine aircraft when the European Commission recently approved the PT6A engine for commercial single-engine instrument flight rules (SEIFR) passenger flights.
At Pratt & Whitney Canada, we understand the value for our customers of achieving single engine turbine instrument meteorological conditions (SET-IMC) endorsement. That’s why we worked closely with the European Aviation Safety Agency for several years to support the integration of the new guidelines, and provide our single engine turboprop OEMs another benefit for their customers. This makes the PT6A the only engine in the world to be approved in North America, Australia, New Zealand and Europe for SEIFR commercial passenger operation, something of which we are extremely proud.
European operators will now have new possibilities for growth. For example, operators can now serve short-haul routes between smaller airports which can only be reached safely and efficiently by small passenger turboprops. The new SET-IMC regulation will facilitate overnight cargo delivery and build new links between communities across Europe, including some of the continent’s most remote regions.
It’s the PT6A engine’s reliability that makes all of this possible. In the course of more than five decades, the PT6A family has raised the bar time and time again for fuel efficiency, operating metrics, environmental performance, and lowering aircraft operating costs. Our employees are constantly building on the PT6A’s legacy with new enhancements.
We work relentlessly to make a real difference to our customers’ businesses every time they fly. By being able to use single-engine aircraft for such commercial purposes, customers will have another option to reduce their operating costs. And they’ll still benefit from the dispatch availability of one of the industry’s most reliable aircraft engines.
Nicholas Kanellias
Vice President General Aviation at Pratt & Whitney Canada