Pratt & Whitney's PurePower® Geared Turbofan™, the Future of Aviation, Visits the Nation's Capital

WASHINGTON, July 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), is displaying its PurePower® Geared Turbofan on Capitol Hill today, the revolutionary new engine platform that is more fuel and cost efficient. This new engine program has proven to be extraordinarily popular around the world with more than 8,000 engines on order, including options and unannounced orders, driving continued U.S. leadership in technology-led manufacturing, U.S. exports, and growing U.S. jobs and investment.

The engine will be on display on South Capitol Street between C and D Streets SE from 10:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. All are welcome to visit.

"The Geared Turbofan, with its revolutionary design, is the future of aviation, and is a great example of U.S. manufacturing leadership," said Pratt & Whitney President Bob Leduc. "Pratt & Whitney expects to hire 25,000 people by 2026, helping to ensure that we meet production targets and maintenance standards, and we will continue to invest in our facilities and supply chain – a majority of which is spent in the United States, while growing U.S. exports. This is the beginning of the next great age in aircraft propulsion, and the GTF engine is in its first years of a 30+ year program."

Of the company's $770 million in supply chain spend to support the GTF engine program over the course of 2016, 78 percent, or $600 million, was spent in the United States, supporting local economies and job creation.

In addition, Pratt & Whitney is investing $1.3 billion in upgrading and updating its manufacturing and service centers to meet the demands of the new program, including a $400+ million expansion of the company's two Connecticut facilities, $451 million expansion of its Columbus, GA, facility, and opening a new facility in Lansing, MI, to produce fan blades. 

The company is currently seeking people for 500+ jobs in the United States, and expects to hire 25,000 people by 2026. Please visit www.utc.com/careers for job openings. Pratt & Whitney is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

In order to develop talent to support the GTF engine and other programs well into the future, Pratt & Whitney works closely with universities as well as technical and community colleges worldwide to train and inspire the next generation of engineers, scientists and advanced manufacturing professionals. These efforts include contributing $125,000 to the Goodwin College Certified Production Technician Manufacturing program in Pratt & Whitney's hometown of East Hartford, CT; investing more than $4.5 million to construct one of the most advanced additive manufacturing laboratories in the nation at the University of Connecticut; designing the advanced technology curriculum with Palm Beach State College – and hiring graduates of the program at Pratt & Whitney's Palm Beach facility; creating a network of Pratt & Whitney Centers of Excellence in universities focused on technical research projects, giving students access to state-of-the-art equipment and hands-on experience prior to graduation. Other programs include collaborations with the York County Community College in Maine, University of North Texas-Arlington, Columbus State University, and Columbus Technical College in Georgia.

Pratt & Whitney invested 20 years and $10 billion in developing the revolutionary GTF engine. The engine, which has been in service for a year and has passed its first 200,000 flight hours, reduced fuel burn by 16%, emissions by 50% and noise by 75%.

The 16% fuel performance step-change offered by the GTF is the result of 48 new technologies and a fundamental shift in design architecture. That innovative design allows the fans to spin at a different speed than the turbine, and results in a 75% smaller noise footprint. Each GTF-powered airplane can annually save approximately $1 million in fuel and impact 500,000 fewer airport neighbors with noise from takeoffs and landings. This improves the quality of  life for airport communities, and offers new economic benefits to airports seeking to extend their operating day without undue disruption to the surrounding communities.

About Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp., is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines and auxiliary power units. United Technologies Corp., based in Farmington, Connecticut, provides high-technology systems 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 support, performance and realization of the anticipated benefits of advanced technologies; as well as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in United Technologies Corp.'s Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

Pratt & Whitney
+1 (860) 565-9600
[email protected]

SOURCE Pratt & Whitney

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