Pratt & Whitney Prepared to Support GTFTM Engine Customers

In preparation for entry into service in late 2015, Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies Corp. company, has accelerated a variety of activities to ensure customers have a strong support network in place before they begin flying Geared Turbofan™ (GTF) engines.

Enhanced support to customers includes global GTF engine training programs and facilities, dedicated field representatives, a global lease engine pool, and an expanded Global Operations Center (GOC).    

“Aircraft operators around the world have given their vote of confidence in the GTF engine and we plan to exceed expectations by working together to ensure a smooth entry into service,” said Matthew Bromberg, president, Pratt & Whitney Aftermarket.  “We have developed a robust portfolio of initiatives to support our customers in every way possible as their GTF engines take flight.”

In addition to customer training facilities in East Hartford, Connecticut, and Beijing, China, a third facility in Hyderabad, India, will open in the second half of 2015 to satisfy global training demand close to where the GTF engine customers operate.  To date, more than 1,600 days of PW1000G engine family training have been delivered to more than 600 students.  Over the next five years, the annual training volume on all Pratt & Whitney engine models is expected to double to more than 25,000 student days per year.

In addition to our existing team of more than 100 field representatives around the world, Pratt & Whitney has assembled a team of a dozen highly experienced field personnel, focused on GTF engine entry into service readiness.  These field representatives will work on-site, side-by-side with customers and local teams for three to six months, bringing specific knowledge and experience to enhance support and accelerate learning as new aircraft are received. Today, this team is supporting the ongoing aircraft flight test programs and validating tools, technical manuals and procedures. 

Pratt & Whitney is also establishing an operational infrastructure for the GTF engine lease pool, with about 10 GTF lease pool engines planned by the end of 2015.  The lease pool will include four regional storage locations to keep engines close to our customers around the globe.

Enhancements are being made to Pratt & Whitney’s GOC as a key focal point of Pratt & Whitney’s Customer Support Organization. Currently, the GOC provides 15,000 technical solutions and handles 50,000 customer interactions per year, nearly all completed within 24 hours.  This 24/7/365 operation will be expanded to deliver world-class responsiveness and aircraft on the ground (AOG) resolution, full data capture and enhanced communications to support GTF engine customers. 

“Thousands of Pratt & Whitney employees, partners, and suppliers have worked together to develop and certify each GTF engine,” said Bromberg.  “Thousands more are working together to ensure a strong support network is ready on Day 1 as this revolutionary product family enters service with our airline customers.” 

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines and auxiliary power units. United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, 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 and support 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.