Pratt & Whitney Canada celebrates one billion flying hours and 60 years of PT6 innovation

Pratt & Whitney Canada has achieved one billion flying hours since the formation of the company nearly 100 years ago, in 1928. P&WC engines power missions across a diverse portfolio – including Business Aviation, General Aviation, Regional Aviation, Helicopter Aviation and Auxiliary Power Units. Over this time, more than 110,000 engines have been produced, with over 66,000 currently in service powering our 16,000+ customers.

Maria Della Posta, President, Pratt & Whitney Canada, commented:“Aviation has the power to change the world. Our engines power aircraft that benefit millions of people every day. Every second, a P&WC-powered aircraft takes off or lands somewhere on the planet, whether they’re driving commerce, reuniting families, or powering humanitarian missions, emergency medical services, or search and rescue missions. Achieving one billion flying hours is made possible by the dedicated team at Pratt & Whitney Canada along with our customers, suppliers and the extended P&WC community. We look forward to celebrating this achievement with them this year.”

PT6: A 60-Year Legacy of Performance and Innovation
The PT6 engine family – the most prevalent and versatile in aviation – is celebrating 60 years of excellence and innovation. It has been embraced by fixed-wing and helicopter airframers around the world. With more than 64,000 PT6 engines produced since its introduction in 1963, it powers over 155 different aviation applications. The PT6 is unmatched in engine performance, reliability and dispatch availability, having reached 500,000 million flying hours.

“Our PT6 engine remains at the forefront of the aviation landscape, bringing breakthrough achievements in performance, control systems and data intelligence,” added Della Posta. “Today's PT6 is up to four times more powerful, has a 50 percent better power-to-weight ratio and up to 20 percent better specific fuel consumption compared to the original engine. Each new model is developed and designed with a specific mission, platform and customer in mind, while pursuing a reduced environmental footprint.”  

The PT6 engine’s relentless technological evolution has never been more apparent than in recent years. The latest engine family, the PT6 E-Series, is the first with a dual-channel integrated electronic propeller and engine control system in general aviation.

The PT6 is also the only turboprop engine in the world to be approved for single-engine instrument flight rules (SEIFR) in commercial passenger flights in Europe, North America, New Zealand and Australia. Building upon its innovative spirit, Pratt & Whitney Canada is committed to ensuring that the PT6 remains the engine of choice for its customers and the industry well into the future.