First Pratt & Whitney PW6000 Engines Enter Service with LAN Airlines

PARIS, June 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PARIS AIR SHOW -- The first Pratt & Whitney-powered A318 aircraft was delivered to LAN Airlines, marking the entry into service of the first PW6000 engines. Based in Santiago, Chile, LAN Airlines is the launch customer of the PW6000 and has ordered 44 engines with the potential for up to 85 total engines if all options are exercised. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company.

"The PW6000 engines performed flawlessly during flight acceptance testing and will enter revenue service with LAN today," said Carmen D'Onofrio, Pratt & Whitney's PW6000 program manager. "The entire PW6000 team has worked hard to support this entry into service; we are proud to watch this great product fly for our first customer."

The PW6000 is designed to provide the lowest total cost of ownership for the 100-passenger aircraft market and offers a thrust range of 18,000 to 24,000 pounds. The engine offers customers better reliability and longer time on-wing in the demanding, high-cycle operating environment of the single aisle aircraft. The PW6000 also meets or exceeds all current and future worldwide environmental regulations.

Pratt & Whitney is actively engaged in discussions with several other customers evaluating the PW6000-powered A318 aircraft and A318 Elite business jets. The PW6000 is produced in partnership with MTU Aero Engines of Germany and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan. MTU produces the PW6000's high pressure compressor and low pressure turbine, and provides production assembly and MRO services. MHI provides the engine's diffuser module.

Pratt & Whitney has over 17,000 aircraft engines in service with hundreds of airlines throughout the world. Pratt & Whitney also is a leading partner in two joint venture companies that manufacture commercial aircraft engines: International Aero Engines, which makes the V2500 for the Airbus A320 family of aircraft, and the Engine Alliance, whose GP7200 engine is FAR 33 certified for the new Airbus A380.

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 building industries.

    Matthew Perra                       Jennifer Whitlow
    P&W Commercial Engines              Pratt & Whitney
    Int'l Mobile: +1.860.595.6515       Int'l Mobile: +1.860.214.7502
    matthew.perra@pw.utc.com            jennifer.whitlow@pw.utc.com