Just a year after IAE was formed, the V2500 two-shaft high-bypass turbofan engine won a position on the Airbus A320 family, formally launching the program. Following a development program, the V2500-A1 engine first entered service with Adria Airways in 1989.

That same year McDonnell Douglas selected the V2500 engine to power the MD-90, providing diversity to the engine program. Delta Air Lines launched this new program with an order for 26 firm aircraft.

Rolls-Royce plc based the HP compressor on a scale-up of the RC34B eight stage research unit used in the RB401-06 Demonstrator Engine, but with a zero-stage added at the front and a tenth stage added to the rear. Pratt & Whitney developed the combustor and the 2-stage air-cooled HP turbine, while the Japanese companies provided the LP compression system. MTU were responsible for the 5-stage LP turbine.

FAA flight certification for the V2500 was granted in 1988.

IAE’s philosophy of continuous improvement was evident from the start, and the first major performance enhancements were introduced into service in 1993 through the V2500-A5 engine. IAE subsequently took the HPT technology developed for the V2500-A5 engine and incorporated it into the V2500-A1 engine in what was termed the “Phoenix Standard” in 1998. This resulted in improved time-on-wing.

The latter part of the 1990s saw IAE and the V2500 engine start to become a dominant force in commercial aviation: (i) the MD-90 entered service; (ii) the first orders were taken from Chinese airlines; (iii) records were broken for deal sizes; and (iv) the first V2500 engine-powered A319 flew in United Airlines’ colors. In addition, the 1,000th V2500 engine was delivered.

The new Millennium saw existing MD-90 operators – China Northern and SAS – select V2500 engine-powered Airbus aircraft for the first time. The engine also became available to power the Airbus Corporate Jetliner (ACJ).

The success story continued throughout the decade as customer numbers approached 200, and a number of record-breaking deals were signed. The 2,000th V2500 engine was delivered in 2002, and the engine program surpassed the milestone of 20 million flying hours.

IAE continued its philosophy of continuous improvement with the introduction of V2500 SelectOne engine in 2005, along with the first comprehensive OEM-managed aftermarket service program in this class. More records were broken as a number of first-run engines remained on wing in excess of 30,000 hours. Following the delivery of the 3,000th V2500 in 2006, orders continued to climb with tremendous success in China with orders from Sichuan Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Shanghai Airlines and Shenzhen Airlines.

The V2500 SelectOne engine gained segment acceptance throughout the decade as customers selected the new engine standard and upgraded their existing fleets with the new retrofit upgrade. The new engine build standard, which debuted with IndiGo in 2008, delivered over 1500 engine units by the end of 2012 and continues to grow. It has a record of exceptional reliability following a flawless entry into service and continued dependable operation. In addition, the V2500 engine became a launch engine for the Airbus A320 Final Assembly Line in Tianjin, China.

An upgrade option for the V2500 SelectOne engine – the V2500 SelectTwo engine was also announced. Meanwhile, the V2500 SelectOne engine reached a major milestone with its 1,000th delivery to IndiGo, and IAE’s order book continued to grow as China Southern became IAE’s largest customer with its order for 65 V2500 SelectOne engines.

In its first military application, IAE was chosen in 2011 by Embraer Defense and Security, in concurrence with the Brazilian Air Force, to provide the powerplant for the country’s new KC-390 multi-role tanker/transport aircraft. The engine will be the V2500-E5 engine.

The 4,000th V2500 engine was delivered to the Brazilian flag carrier TAM and installed on the 4,000th Airbus A320 family aircraft (an A319).

In early 2012, the 5,000th V2500 engine was delivered to SilkAir, and IAE achieved 100 million flying hours.

Variants:

V2500-A1

V2533-A5
A fourth booster stage was introduced into the engine basic configuration to increase core flow. This, together with a fan diameter/airflow increase, helped to increase the thrust to 33,000 lbf (147 kN) thrust, to meet the requirements of the larger Airbus A321-200.
A number of derated, Stage 4 noise compliant engines have been produced from the -A5 configuration, including:
The 23,500 lbf (105 kN) thrust V2524-A5 for the Airbus A319
The 27,000 lbf (120 kN) thrust V2527-A5 for the Airbus A320
The 28,000 lbf (120 kN) thrust V2528-D5 for the McDonnell Douglas MD-90-30.
The 33,000 lbf (150 kN) thrust V2533-A5 for the Airbus A321

V2500SelectOne
On October 10, 2005, IAE announced the launch of the V2500SelectOne with a sale to IndiGo Airlines to power 100 A320 series aircraft. The V2500SelectOne is a combination performance improvement package and aftermarket agreement. In February 2009, Pratt & Whitney upgraded the first V2500-A5 to the SelectOne Retrofit standard; the engine was owned by US Airways and had been in use since 1998.

V2500SelectTwo
On March 15, 2011, IAE announced an upgrade option of V2500 SelectOne Engines to the SelectTwo Program.

Applications:
Airbus A320 family (excluding A318)
Embraer KC-390
McDonnell Douglas MD-90

Specifications:

V2500-A1
Thrust: 111 kN
Bypass ratio: 5.4 : 1
Compression ratio: 35.8 : 1
Fan diameter: 1.587 m
Total length: 3.2 m
Weight: 2,327 kg
Production start year: 1989
Aircraft type: A320

V2522-A5
Thrust: 97.86 kN
Bypass ratio: 4.9 : 1
Compression ratio: 32.8 : 1
Fan diameter: 1.613 m
Total length: 3.2 m
Weight: 2,359 kg
Production start year: 1992
Aircraft type: A319

V2524-A5
Thrust: 106.75 kN
Bypass ratio: 4.9 : 1
Compression ratio: 32.8 : 1
Fan diameter: 1.613 m
Total length: 3.2 m
Weight: 2,359 kg
Production start year: 1996
Aircraft type: A319

V2525-D5
Thrust: 111 kN
Bypass ratio: 4.8 : 1
Compression ratio: 34.5 : 1
Fan diameter: 1.613 m
Total length: 3.2 m
Weight: 2,484 kg
Production start year: 1995
Aircraft type: MD90

V2527-A5
Thrust: 117.88 kN
Bypass ratio: 4.8 : 1
Compression ratio: 32.8 : 1
Fan diameter: 1.613 m
Total length: 3.2 m
Weight: 2,359 kg
Production start year: 1993
Aircraft type: A320

V2528-D5
Thrust: 124 kN
Bypass ratio: 4.7 : 1
Compression ratio: 35.2 : 1
Fan diameter: 1.613 m
Total length: 3.2 m
Weight: 2,484 kg
Production start year: 1995
Aircraft type: MD90

V2530-A5
Thrust: 139.67 kN
Bypass ratio: 4.6 : 1
Compression ratio: 35.2 : 1
Fan diameter: 1.613 m
Total length: 3.2 m
Weight: 2,359 kg
Production start year: 1994
Aircraft type: A321

V2533-A5
Thrust: 146.80 kN
Bypass ratio: 4.5 : 1
Compression ratio: 35.2 : 1
Fan diameter: 1.613 m
Total length: 3.2 m
Weight: 2,359 kg
Production start year: 1996
Aircraft type: A321