Pratt & Whitney received U.S. Federal Aviation Administration type certification of its PW1100G-JM PurePower geared turbofan engine that will power the Airbus A320neo narrowbody, the manufacturer announced on December 19. According to Greg Gernhardt, Pratt & Whitney Commercial Engines president, the PurePower engine had completed more than 50 flights on Airbus’s A320neo flight-test aircraft. Airbus conducted the first flight of the MSN6101 test aircraft on September 25 from Toulouse-Blagnac Airport in France.

Plans call for the flight-test campaign to involve eight aircraft, encompassing all three A320neo models and both new engine options—the PW1100G and the CFM International’s Leap 1A. CFM, the joint venture of GE Aviation and France’s Snecma, achieved the first flight of the Leap engine on a Boeing 747 flying testbed on October 9. Airbus expects the Pratt & Whitney-powered A320neo will be the first Neo variant to receive type certification, followed by entry into service with Qatar Airways in the fourth quarter of 2015.

Pratt & Whitney now has two certified PurePower engine programs. Transport Canada granted type certification of the PW1500G engine for the Bombardier CSeries in early 2013.