PHOENIX, Ariz., Tuesday, April 8, 2014

TAM Reaps Benefits of V2500 Engine Reliability

The V2500 engine program reached a new operational milestone when two first-run V2527-A5 engines powering TAM’s A320ceo aircraft remained on wing without a shop visit for nearly 20,000 cycles and 30,000 flight hours.

The engines – V12339 and V12341, rated at 27,000 pounds of thrust, are estimated to have each flown in excess of 9.5 million miles since installation. TAM Linhas Aereas took delivery of the engines in July 2006 and operated them for 7.5 years with no removals. The engines contain original OEM parts.

“These engines flew almost full life since new with only a few cycles remaining before their first shop visit,” said Guilherme Guerra, Powerplant Engineering, TAM Linhas Aereas. “We have put key programs into practice, such as water washing and derate philosophies that are aligned with our condition monitoring concept in order to support such long time-on-wing targets. This milestone is a result of teamwork between engineering, the flight crew, technical support and maintenance teams and working in close collaboration with IAE.”

“We take great pride in providing our customers with engines that are efficient and reliable,” said Matthew Bromberg, president, Pratt & Whitney Aftermarket. “When you combine a great engine with an operator such as TAM that recognizes the value of engine condition monitoring and proactive maintenance, you achieve significant milestones.”

July 2014 will mark the 15th anniversary of the first V2500 delivery to TAM aboard an A319ceo. Throughout its 15 years as a V2500 customer, TAM’s maintenance practices have enabled it to realize the full potential of its V2500 engines intact with original OEM parts. TAM also set a milestone in August 2012 when they removed a 24K first-run engine (V12109) powering an A319ceo aircraft with 19,986 cycles before its first shop visit.

TAM Airlines operates more than 75 IAE-powered A320 series aircraft in its fleet, with nearly 200 V2500 engines in service or on backlog. The airline was established in 1976 and has grown to be a leader in the Brazilian aviation marketplace.

IAE is a multinational aero engine consortium whose shareholders are comprised of Pratt & Whitney (NYSE: UTX), Pratt & Whitney Aero Engines International GmbH, Japanese Aero Engines Corporation and MTU Aero Engines. To date, more than 6,000 V2500® engines have been delivered to close to 200 customers around the world.

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