AirTran Signs EcoPower Engine Wash Agreement With Jet Aircraft Maintenance

AirTran Airways has signed an exclusive agreement with Jet Aircraft Maintenance, a designated service provider of Pratt & Whitney Global Service Partners EcoPower engine wash services. Under the agreement, AirTran will use EcoPower engine wash services on its fleet of 143 aircraft, which consists of Boeing 737-700s and 717-200s.

EcoPower washes are expected to reduce engine fuel burn by as much as 1.2%, eliminate three pounds of CO2 emissions for every pound of fuel saved, and decrease exhaust gas temperature, improving performance and increasing the amount of time an engine can stay on wing.

Kirk Thornburg, vice president of maintenance and engineering for AirTran, said: “With today’s rising fuel costs, we see EcoPower engine wash and this agreement with Jet Aircraft Maintenance as a key step to improving our operating costs. Over time, we expect this agreement to save AirTran Airways about a million gallons of fuel annually, which leads right to savings at the bottom line.”