MONTREAL - The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed special certification conditions for Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PW220A engine. Designed for twin-engine, transport-category helicopters, the PW220A features an innovative "idle cruise regime," or ICR, that allows one engine to power the aircraft during cruise flight while the other operates in a low-idle state.
Existing airworthiness regulations lack definitions and safety frameworks for the concept, and the proposed requirements aim to ensure the engine achieves a safety level equal to current standards. P&WC originally applied for type certification in November 2021 and received an extension in May 2025, maintaining its initial certification basis alongside the new rules.
Under the proposed guidelines, specific limits will be established for parameters such as horsepower, torque, rpm, gas temperature, duration and occurrence counts for both active maximum continuous power and two-minute power under ICR. Additional requirements focus on critical operational safety, including the engine control system's ability to automatically recover from ICR, performance under induction icing, resistance to hail and rain ingestion, and endurance testing. Notably, the engine must demonstrate the capability to spool up from ICR to 95% rated power within five seconds. Public comments on the proposed special conditions are open through Oct. 9, 2026.
