PWPS Announces New FT8 Depot Facility with Iberia Airlines in Madrid, Spain

EAST HARTFORD, Conn., June 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Pratt & Whitney Power Systems announced today at the POWER-GEN Europe exhibition that Iberia Maintenance, the Maintenance and Engineering division of Iberia Airlines, has been selected to provide depot support services for the fleet of GG8 gas generators in the European region. The facility, located in Madrid, Spain, joins a network of worldwide depot facilities for P&W Power Systems. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company.

The Maintenance & Engineering division of Iberia Airlines is well known for its experience as a world-class aircraft engine repair facility, specializing in the repair of several types of engines, including Pratt & Whitney's successful JT8 engine from which the GG8 was derived. Iberia was selected with the European customer in mind, based on its ideal location for the European customer base, and its extensive in-house component repair and technical capabilities. 

"With more than 500 FT8 units sold and a continuing demand for new units in the region, we needed a depot partner that could provide superior support for our European customers," said Stephen Kopf, Manager of Customer Service, Pratt & Whitney Power Systems. "Both Iberia and PWPS are investing in this solution for the benefit of our FT8 customers, and we are committed to the success of this venture."

Under the terms of the license agreement, Iberia will deal directly with Pratt & Whitney Power Systems' customers for depot services. Customers will interact directly with Iberia for everything from planning shop visits, logistics, and work scope, to reports and invoicing. PWPS will support Iberia with certain component repairs, all spare parts, technical publications, and engineering services. The Iberia facility is expected to begin servicing GG8 gas generators before the end of the year.

"We are very glad to have reached this agreement with PWPS. We are committed to contribute to FT8 customers by transferring our extensive technical know-how and capabilities from the JT8 aero engine to the FT8 aero derivatives. We hope that our future customers will benefit from the high level of satisfaction in customer support that our current customers in the aerospace industry perceive," said Jose Luis Ruiz de Castaneda, SVP Maintenance & Engineering, Iberia Maintenance.

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and commercial building industries.

Iberia Maintenance carries out all maintenance of aircraft, engines and airplane parts for the airline's own aircraft and has about a hundred outside customers around the world. It is the world's ninth-largest aircraft maintenance company and Spain's largest by revenues and staff, as well as in repairs, technology, and aircraft modification. In 2011 it inspected and repaired a total of some 200 engines and 66,000 parts.

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SOURCE Pratt & Whitney