Which Engines do the Major Airliners of our times use?

An aircraft is a work of art as much as it is a work of science. The engine is one of the main components what provides this beautiful creature its most important characteristic: the ability to fly.

Most of the modern airliners use turbofan engines – engines characterised by a ‘turbo’, or turbine and a ‘fan’. More specifically, the turbo portion of the engine refers to a turbine engine which produces mechanical energy from fuel combustion, and the fan, portion uses the mechanical energy from the turbine to accelerate air towards the rear.

**Close-up of a turbofan engine**
Credits: Captainm, Wikimedia Commons

**This is how a turbofan engine works.**
Credits: Wikimedia Commons

The major companies producing turbofan engines are General Electric, Pratt and Whitney and Rolls Royce. Most of the major airliners use engines manufactured by these companies. In case of multiple engine options for one aircraft, the airlines are provided an option to choose which company’s engines they would prefer in their fleet.

Model	Major applications	Start	Bypass	Length	Fan	Weight	Thrust
GE GE90	Boeing 777	1992	8.7–9.9	5.18m–5.40m	3.12–3.25m	7.56–8.62t	330–510 kN
P&W PW4000	Airbus A300/Airbus A310, Airbus A330, Boeing 747, Boeing 767, Boeing 777, MD-11	1984	4.8–6.4	3.37–4.95m	2.84m	4.18–7.48t	222–436 kN
R-R Trent XWB	Airbus A350XWB	2010	9.3	5.22 m	3.00m	7.28 t	330–430 kN
R-R Trent 800	Boeing 777	1993	5.7–5.79	4.37m	2.79m	5.96–5.98t	411–425 kN
EA GP7000	Airbus A380	2004	8.7	4.75m	2.95m	6.09–6.71 t	311–363 kN
R-R Trent 900	Airbus A380	2004	8.7	4.55m	2.95m	6.18–6.25 t	340–357 kN
R-R Trent 1000	Boeing 787	2006	10.8-11	4.74m	2.85m	5.77 t	265.3–360.4 kN
GE GEnx	Boeing 747-8, Boeing 787	2006	8.0–9.3	4.31-4.69m	2.66-2.82m	5.62-5.82 t	296-339 kN
R-R Trent 700	Airbus A330	1990	4.9	3.91 m	2.47m	4.79 t	320 kN
GE CF6	Airbus A300/ Airbus A310, Airbus A330, Boeing 747, Boeing 767, MD-11, DC-10	1971	4.3–5.3	4.00–4.41 m	2.20–2.79m	3.82–5.08 t	222–298 kN
R-R Trent 500	Airbus A340-500/600	1999	8.5	3.91m	2.47m	4.72 t	252 kN
P&W PW1000G	Airbus A320neo, Airbus A220, E-Jets E2	2008	9.0–12.5	3.40m	1.42–2.06m	2.86 t	67–160 kN
CFM LEAP	Airbus A320neo, Boeing 737Max	2013	9.0–11.0	3.15–3.33m	1.76–1.98m	2.78–3.15t	100–146 kN
CFM56	Airbus A320, Airbus A340-200/300, Boeing 737, KC-135, DC-8	1974	5.0–6.6	2.36–2.52m	1.52–1.84m	1.95–2.64t	97.9-151 kN
IAE V2500	Airbus A320, MD-90	1987	4.4–4.9	3.20m	1.60m	2.36–2.54t	97.9-147 kN
P&W PW6000	Airbus A318	2000	4.90	2.73m	1.44m	2.36t	100.2 kN
R-R BR700	Boeing 717, Global Express, Gulfstream V	1994	4.2–4.5	3.41–3.60m	1.32–1.58m	1.63–2.11t	68.9–102.3 kN
GE Passport	Global 7000/8000	2013	5.6	3.37m	1.30m	2.07t	78.9–84.2 kN
GE CF34	Challenger 600, CRJ, E-jets	1982	5.3–6.3	2.62–3.26m	1.25–1.32m	0.74–1.12t	41–82.3 kN
P&WC PW800	Gulfstream G500/G600	2012	5.5		1.30m		67.4–69.7 kN
R-R Tay	Gulfstream IV, Fokker 70/100	1984	3.1–3.2	2.41m	1.12–1.14m	1.42–1.53t	61.6–68.5 kN
Silvercrest	Cit. Hemisphere, Falcon 5X	2012	5.9	1.90m	1.08m	1.09t	50.9 kN
R-R AE 3007	ERJ, Citation X	1991	5.0	2.71m	1.11m	0.72t	33.7 kN
P&WC PW300	Cit. Sovereign, G200, F. 7X, F. 2000	1988	3.8–4.5	1.92–2.07	0.97m	0.45–0.47t	23.4–35.6 kN
HW HTF7000	Challenger 300, G280, Legacy 500	1999	4.4	2.29m	0.87m	0.62t	28.9 kN
HW TFE731	Learjet 70/75, G150, Falcon 900	1970	2.66–3.9	1.52–2.08m	0.72-0.78m	0.34–0.45t	15.6–22.2 kN
Williams FJ44	CitationJet, Cit. M2	1985	3.3–4.1	1.36–2.09m	0.53-0.57m	0.21–0.24t	6.7–15.6 kN
P&WC PW500	Citation Excel, Phenom 300	1993	3.90	1.52m	0.70m	0.28t	13.3 kN
GE-H HF120	HondaJet	2009	4.43	1.12m	0.54m	0.18t	7.4 kN
Williams FJ33	Cirrus SF50	1998		0.98m	0.53m	0.14 t	6.7 kN
P&WC PW600	Cit. Mustang, Eclipse 500, Phenom 100	2001	1.8–2.8	0.67m	0.36m	0.15t	6.0 kN
PS-90	Ilyushin Il-76, Ilyushin Il-96, Tupolev Tu-204	1992	4.4	4.96m	1.9m	2.95t	157–171 kN
PowerJet SaM146	Sukhoi Superjet 100	2008	4-4.1	3.59m	1.22m	2.260t	71.6–79.2 kN