Pratt & Whitney Ships Initial PurePower Engines To Airbus

EAST HARTFORD, Conn., May 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Pratt & Whitney has delivered its first ship set of PurePower® PW1100G-JM engines on schedule to Airbus for its A320neo aircraft family. The PurePower engines were assembled and tested at the company's West Palm Beach, Florida, facility – one of three locations that will assemble PW1100G-JM engines for Airbus. Pratt & Whitney is a division of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).

"Airbus put its trust in Pratt & Whitney to design, develop and certify the PW1100G-JM engine for the A320neo," said David Brantner, president, Pratt & Whitney Commercial Engines. "I am pleased to say that Pratt & Whitney has completed more than 75 percent of certification testing and we are on track to meet or exceed all commitments. Our PurePower engine family has now completed more than 9,000 hours of rigorous testing, which is proving the engine's capability and reliability. We are on track and ready to power the first A320neo aircraft in late summer."  

The PW1100G-JM engine continues to go through its rigorous testing process with certification planned for the second half of 2014. Airline operation or entry into service is planned for the fourth quarter of 2015.

The PW1100G-JM engine successfully completed its first development flight May 15, 2013, on Pratt & Whitney's flight test aircraft. To date, the company has successfully completed more than 20 development engine builds and three flight test campaigns to validate the PW1100G-JM engine. The first engine was tested in November 2012, less than two years after the Geared Turbofan program was launched.  

Compared with an A320ceo without Sharklets, the A320neo powered by PW1100G-JM engine technology will provide customers with up to a 15 percent reduction in fuel-burn with a corresponding reduction in CO2 emissions. The PW1100G-JM engine also provides up to a 75 percent reduction in the A320neo noise footprint, which is also environmentally friendly and allows longer hours of operation at airports that operate under curfew.

To date, the PurePower engine family has more than 5,500 orders and commitments, including options, from more than 50 global customers.

Airbus is the world's leading commercial aircraft manufacturer whose customer focus, commercial know-how, technological leadership and manufacturing efficiency have set the standard for the aviation industry. Headquartered in Toulouse, France, Airbus is owned by the Airbus Group, a global leader in aerospace, defense and related services. In addition to Airbus' commercial aircraft activities, this group is comprised of the Airbus Helicopters and Airbus Defense and Space business units and maintains a presence on every continent.

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, auxiliary and ground power units, and small turbojet propulsion products. United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Connecticut, is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries. To learn more about UTC, visit its website at www.utc.com, or follow the company on Twitter: @UTC.

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning future business opportunities. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to changes in levels of demand in the aerospace industry, in levels of air travel, and in the number of aircraft to be built; challenges in the design, development, production and support of advanced technologies; as well as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in the companies' Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

For more information on the Pratt & Whitney PurePower engine, visit: www.purepowerengines.com.

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SOURCE Pratt & Whitney