FARNBOROUGH, United Kingdom — Jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney unveiled a program Monday designed to help airlines trim fuel consumption.

The company teamed up with Flight Sciences International for the fuel conservation program, dubbed EcoFlight Solutions. Together the companies will work to analyze airline operations, locate potential fuel savings opportunities, carry out fuel reduction plans, and monitor results.

The partners claim that EcoFlight Solutions can trim airline fuel costs by between 3 percent and 8 percent annually -- even for companies with existing fuel conservation programs. For a mid-sized airline, this could total between $20 million and $50 million, according to Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies Company.

"Fuel is the No. 1 expense for the airline industry and can account for up to 50 percent of an airline's operating costs," Joanne Hastings, director of Pratt & Whitney's Line Maintenance Services, said in a statement. "Airlines struggle to safely use as little fuel as possible, especially in these tough economic times."

The program will be offered through Pratt & Whitney's Global Service Partners arm, which offers services for the company's engines. Other services include advanced engine monitoring, line maintenance support, aircraft fuel consumption optimization, and EcoPower engine wash. Flight Science International, founded in 1992, specializes in fuel conservation programs.

Pratt & Whitney also announced Monday that it has completed 260 hours of testing on its full-scale PurePower engine core, which defines the Pure Power family of next-generation engines. The PurePower PW10000G engine achieves double-digit improvements in fuel efficiency and emissions, while the PW800 engine offers a double-digit improvement in fuel burn and emissions.

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