GE Aviation Runs First Passport Engine

Certification testing is under way on the first Passport development engine at GE Aviation’s test facility in Peebles, Ohio. The engine, which will power the Bombardier Global 7000 and 8000, began ground testing on Monday and ran for more than three hours, reaching more than 18,000 pounds of thrust. This first full engine test launches a certification program that will include more than 4,000 ground hours and 8,000 cycles of testing. Certification is expected in 2015. Flight-testing on GE’s flying testbed is scheduled to begin next year.