Pratt & Whitney Canada to lead EU’s hybrid-electric aviation project

LONGUEUIL, Quebec - Pratt & Whitney Canada, an RTX business, has been selected to lead the Powerplant Hybrid Application REgional Segment (PHARES) project under the European Union’s Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking, marking the first time a Canadian company will lead a Clean Aviation program.

The project aims to develop a hybrid-electric propulsion demonstrator targeting up to 20% improved fuel efficiency for regional aircraft. Pratt & Whitney Canada will collaborate with Collins Aerospace, ATR, Airbus and other research organizations as part of the PHARES consortium.

The hybrid-electric propulsion system will integrate an advanced PW127XT-derivative turboprop engine with a Collins 250 kW electric motor drive system through an optimized propeller gearbox. Collins will also develop an advanced propeller system designed to improve efficiency and reduce noise.

"Hybrid-electric propulsion and electrified aircraft systems are key parts of RTX’s technology roadmap for optimizing performance and enhancing fuel efficiency across multiple future aircraft platforms," said Maria Della Posta, president of Pratt & Whitney Canada, in a press release statement.

PHARES falls under Clean Aviation’s Ultra-Efficient Regional Aircraft architecture, aligning with the European Union’s climate action plan. The Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking operates as a public-private partnership between the European Commission and the European aeronautics industry with a total budget of €4.1 billion.

The program aims to reduce emission footprints of short-medium range and regional aircraft by at least 30% compared to 2020 state-of-the-art aircraft.

RTX, the parent company of Pratt & Whitney Canada and Collins Aerospace, reported 2024 sales of more than $80 billion.

In other recent news, Raytheon, a division of RTX, has been awarded several significant contracts. The U.S. Navy has granted Raytheon a $205 million contract to continue production of the Phalanx Close-In Weapon System, which includes upgrades and overhauls to be completed by 2029. Additionally, Raytheon Technologies secured a $95.7 million contract modification from the U.S. Department of Defense for Tomahawk missile antenna hardware kits, involving the delivery of navigation and communications kits. Furthermore, Raytheon Missiles and Defense received a $380 million contract modification for the production of Medium Range Intercept Capability, increasing the total contract value to over $412 million.

Raytheon Technologies also obtained two contracts totaling $71 million for missile system work, with the larger $57.5 million order focusing on engineering work for the Navy and foreign military sales. In a separate development, Collins Aerospace, another RTX business, has started providing JetBlue with its FlightAware Foresight technology. This predictive analytics tool aids in identifying potential flight delays using real-time tracking and machine learning. These developments highlight Raytheon’s continued involvement in defense contracts and Collins Aerospace’s expansion into predictive analytics for aviation.

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