The A320 dogfight

New engine options from two engine makers, Pratt & Whitney and CFM International, expected to be used on Airbus's best-selling airliner A320, will offer 15% fuel savings, a 15% cut in CO ₂ and 50% less NO _x emissions, and a 15dB noise reduction compared with today's A320. The options include PurePower PW1100 engine from Pratt & Whitney and Leap-X engine from CFM International. Pratt says it is saving 16% in fuel compared to what it achieves with the V2500, and that feeds through directly to a 16% CO ₂ emissions cut too. It is also using its Talon combustor technology with fast quenching to cut NO _x by around 50%. On the other hand, CFM has used a lot of composites, advanced design in terms of blisks on the first five stages, and its own advanced Taps combustor technology, which is being used for the first time on the GEnx.