PHOENIX, Arizona – Air France Industries, a world-leading multi-product aircraft maintenance (MRO) provider, and the Engine Alliance have signed an Industrial Cooperation Agreement for Air France Industries to operate as a maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) center for the GP7000 engine, the best-selling powerplant for the Airbus A380.

The center will be located in Paris and serve as a repair facility for the Engine Alliance, a 50/50 joint venture between General Electric Company and Pratt & Whitney, which produces the GP7000 engine. The Air France Industries facility will work as a part of the Engine Alliance MRO network.

Air France, which has ordered GP7000-powered A380s, will start with partial GP7000 service capability next year when the engine enters into service, and ramp up to engine overhaul capability as the fleet grows. The Engine Alliance will provide Air France Industries with a technology package to fulfill its MRO role. Air France Industries and the Engine Alliance will offer customer and product support services, supply chain management, logistics for component repair as well as LRU support.

Air France Industries’ capabilities, with its location in proximity to several of the Engine Alliance GP7000 -powered A380 operators will help GP7000 customers to reduce operating and overhaul costs and resolve logistics issues. The GP7000 overhaul and repair agreement strengthens Air France Industries’ strategy and leadership to provide MRO services for the large engine segment, which was launched on the GE90-115B engine.

The GP7200 engine received FAR (Federal Aviation Regulation) 33 certification from the U.S Federal Aviation Administration in December 2005 and is preparing for flight tests aboard the A380 later this year. The engines are scheduled to enter service in 2007.

The GP7000 engine has been selected for 72 of the 130 A380 aircraft ordered with the engines specified. In addition to Air France, Emirates, FedEx, International Lease Finance Corporation and Korean Air have selected the GP7000 engine for their A380 fleets, resulting in firm orders for 320 engines valued at more than $3 billion.

Air France Industries partnering with KLM Engineering & Maintenance are world-leading MRO providers offering outstanding repair capability, integration expertise, component pool operational support and a powerful logistics network. Together they support more than 900 aircraft and serve close to 150 international airlines.

Singapore — In preparation for joining the Airbus A380 flight-test program, the first of four Engine Alliance (EA) GP7200 engines has been installed on an A380 flight-test aircraft at Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, France. Installation of all four engines will be completed in March, and the aircraft will enter the A380 flight-test program by mid-2006.

This latest EA milestone follows U.S. Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness certification of the GP7200 engine, which was granted in December 2005. The FAR (Federal Aviation Regulation) 33 certification followed an extensive, 21-month ground- and flight-test program that involved eight engines. During its development and certification program, the GP7200 ran 7,000 cycles, completed 25 full-scale engine certification tests and more than 50 component tests, and powered a heavily instrumented 747 flying testbed that collected flight data over a three-month period.

The engine is initially certified at 76,500 pounds (340 kN) of thrust and has the capability to produce over 81,500 pounds (363 kN) with the same bill of material. During its certification program, the engine was tested at thrust levels in excess of 94,000 pounds (418 kN).

“We put the GP7200 through as tough a test regime as any engine has ever faced,” said Bruce Hughes, Engine Alliance president. “Even though the engine will be used on the four-engine A380, we tested and certified it to the same standards required for large twin-engine aircraft in ETOPS (Extended-Range Twin Engine Operations). This has been an outstanding team effort by the Engine Alliance, its parent companies GE and Pratt & Whitney, and its partners, MTU, Snecma and TechSpace Aero. Now we are ready to get on with flight-testing and certification on the A380.”

Focused on delivering mature reliability to operators at entry into service, the GP7200 test program has accumulated more than 8,300 cycles and 3,200 hours to date. The first GP7200-powered A380 will enter service with Emirates in 2007.

The GP7200 is derived from two successful engines, the GE90 and the PW4000, incorporating all the lessons learned from millions of flight hours and benefiting from the two programs’ latest, proven technologies. The GP7200 will ensure the A380 meets stringent Stage 4 noise regulations and QC2 departure noise rules, and its emissions are well below current and anticipated regulations.

The GP7200 holds the market share lead with 55% of firm engine orders for the A380. In addition to Emirates, which has purchased or leased a total of 45 A380s, other Engine Alliance customers include Air France, FedEx, Korean Air and International Lease Finance Corporation. The Engine Alliance is a 50/50 joint venture of General Electric (NYSE:GE) and Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies company (NYSE:UTX).

East Hartford, Conn., and Evendale, Ohio – The U. S. Federal Aviation Administration granted airworthiness certification to the Engine Alliance GP7200 engine, the leading powerplant for the Airbus A380.

The FAR (Federal Aviation Regulation) 33 certification follows an extensive ground and flight-test program that involved eight engines over 21 months. During its development and certification program the GP7200 ran some 7,000 cycles, 25 full-scale engine certification tests and more than 50 component tests, and powered two flight-test programs on a flying test bed. The engine is initially certified at 76,500 pounds of thrust and has the capability to produce over 81,500 pounds with the same bill of material. During its certification program the engine was tested at thrust levels in excess of 94,000 pounds.

“We put the GP7200 through as tough a test regime as any engine has ever faced,” said Bruce Hughes, Engine Alliance president. “Even though the engine will be used on the four-engine A380, we tested and certified it to the same standards required for large twin-engine aircraft in ETOPS (Extended-Range Twin Engine Operations). This has been an outstanding team effort by the Engine Alliance, its parent companies GE and Pratt & Whitney, and its partners, MTU, Snecma and TechSpace Aero. Now we are ready to get on with flight-testing and certification on the A380.”

The Alliance delivered four flight-test engines to Airbus in September that will soon be installed on an A380 flight-test aircraft. First flight will take place in 2006 with entry into service at Emirates in 2007.

The GP7200 is derived from two successful engines, the GE90 and the PW4000, incorporating all the lessons learned from millions of flight hours and benefiting from the two programs’ latest, proven technologies. The GP7200 will ensure the A380 meets stringent Stage 4 noise regulations and QC2 departure noise rules, and its emissions are well below current and anticipated regulations.

The GP7200 holds the market share lead with 55% of announced firm engine orders for the A380. In addition to Emirates, which has purchased or leased a total of 45 A380s, other Engine Alliance customers include Air France, FedEx, Korean Air and International Lease Finance Corporation. The Engine Alliance is a 50/50 joint venture of General Electric (NYSE:GE) and Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies company (NYSE:UTX).

Dubai 2005 – The Engine Alliance GP7200 engine, selected to power Emirates’ new fleet of Airbus A380s, has completed all the required engine tests for certification by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, opening the way for first flight on the Airbus A380 in 2006.

The Engine Alliance completed all required engine certification tests in November, and FAA certification is anticipated in December.

“The GP7200 has been put through as tough a development and certification program as any engine has undergone, meeting both new FAA requirements and Airbus requirements for maturity at entry into service,” said Bruce Hughes, president of the Engine Alliance. “This engine, even though it will fly on the four-engine A380, meets all the demanding requirements for extended range operations on a twin-engine airliner. This is a rock-solid engine that will be a great performer for our customers.”

During its test program, the GP7200 ran at more than 94,000 pounds of thrust, significantly higher than initial service requirements of 70,000 pounds of thrust. In many tests, the engine was run under conditions that it will never see in actual airline service in order to demonstrate its ruggedness and reliability. Thus far the GP7200 has accumulated nearly 3000 hours and 7000 cycles of testing (a cycle is the equivalent of one takeoff and landing).

The Engine Alliance delivered the first four GP7200 flight-test engines to Airbus in September. All GP7200 engines that have been through production-acceptance testing to date have demonstrated performance levels at or better than the Airbus fuel burn specification.

The GP7200 program is focused on maintainability as well as performance and durability. The Engine Alliance recently hosted a two-week Maintainability Demonstration in which mechanics from customer airlines performed more than 100 approved maintenance procedures on a GP7200 engine to evaluate the engine’s ease of maintenance. This customer feedback will be used to further improve engine maintenance procedures.

The GP7200 will ensure the A380 meets stringent Stage 4 noise regulations and QC2 departure noise rules, and its emissions are below current and anticipated regulations. The engine combines the best technology from the two Engine Alliance 50/50 partners, General Electric (NYSE:GE) and Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies company (NYSE:UTX). Much of the technology in the engine derives from the highly successful and reliable GE90 and PW4000 engine programs of the two companies.

The GP7200 holds the lead with 58 percent of announced firm engine orders for the A380. Emirates will be the first airline to operate the GP7200 when its A380s enter service in 2007. Other Engine Alliance customers include Air France, FedEx, Korean Air and International Lease Finance Corporation.

TOULOUSE, France — The Engine Alliance (EA) has reached a major milestone in the development of its GP7200 engine with delivery of the first four compliance/flight test engines for the Airbus A380.

Airbus will install nacelle and airplane system components on these engines starting in October to support the upcoming A380/GP7200 flight test program. “Everyone on the Engine Alliance team is very proud today,” said Bruce Hughes, EA president. “This is a goal we have been working toward since GE and Pratt & Whitney formed the Engine Alliance in 1996 – to give airlines the best performing, most reliable engine for new, super jumbo aircraft such as the A380. We are particularly pleased because our compliance engines are right on the Airbus fuel burn specification.”

The GP7200 engine will provide 70,000 pounds of thrust for the A380 with capability to more than 80,000 pounds. It was developed by combining the strong features of the existing PW4090 and GE90 engines. The GP7200’s technologies will enable the A380 to meet stringent Stage 4 and QC2 departure noise standards, and the engine will comply with both today’s and anticipated future emissions requirements.

As the first flight test engines arrived in Toulouse, Federal Aviation Administration FAR33 engine certification testing continues at Pratt & Whitney and GE facilities. Earlier this week the test program passed the 5,000-cycle milestone and is progressing well toward certification later this year. The GP7200 has a 58 percent of the engine orders to date among customers who have made an engine selection for their A380s. EA customers include Emirates, Air France, FedEx, ILFC and Korean Air.

The Engine Alliance is a 50/50 joint venture between GE Transportation-Aircraft Engines (NYSE:GE) and Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies company (NYSE:UTX).

LE BOURGET – Korean Air has selected the Engine Alliance GP7200 to power the airline’s new fleet of Airbus A380 super jumbo aircraft. Korean Air ordered 23 engines for the five firm A380s on order and 13 engines for the three option aircraft. The value of the firm orders is approximately $300M. If the options are exercised, they would be worth an additional $170 million. This order gives the Engine Alliance a 58 percent order share on the A380s for which engines have been selected; the total 320 engines on firm order have a value of $4.1B.

“We’re very pleased with the Engine Alliance’s focus on reliability, maturity and cost of ownership,” said Yang Ho Cho, Korean Air Chairman and CEO. “We look forward to introducing GP7200-powered A380s into the Korean Air fleet.”

“Chairman Cho and his team plan to make Korean Air one of the top ten airlines in the world within the next five years,” said Bruce Hughes, president of the Engine Alliance. “The Engine Alliance team and its parent companies, GE and Pratt & Whitney, are proud to be part of making that vision a reality.”

The Engine Alliance’s GP7200 engine will be certified at an initial thrust rating of 76,500 pounds. Plans call for increasing that certification rating to 81,500 pounds to accommodate A380 growth. The GP7200 has demonstrated the capability of reaching up to 84,000 pounds of thrust.

The GP7200 development program continues on track for engine certification in October 2005, followed by flight-testing aboard the A380. Flight test engines are being built now and will go to Airbus in mid-year. To date the eight development engines in the GP7200 test program have completed more than 4,000 cycles and 1,750 hours of operation. By entry into service the development fleet will have built up more than 15,000 endurance cycles, the equivalent of 105,000 hours of operation. Even though the A380 is a four-engine aircraft, the GP7200 will certify to standards suitable for an ETOPS (Extended Twin Engine Operations) rating.

The GP7200 engine has been selected for 72 of the 125 A380 aircraft ordered with the engines specified. In addition to Korean Air, customers for the GP7200 engine include Air France, Emirates, FedEx and International Lease Finance Corporation.

The GP7200 benefits from the heritage of the highly successful GE90 and PW4000 families. Building on the GE90 core and the PW4000 low-pressure system, the GP7200 is a refined derivative with an infusion of new, proven technologies. The engine features a hollow-titanium, swept wide-chord fan; a five-stage low-pressure compressor; a nine-stage high-pressure compressor and a two-stage high-pressure turbine; a low-emissions single annular combustor that will meet future emissions regulations with substantial margin; and a six-stage low-pressure turbine.

MTU of Germany, Snecma of France and Techspace Aero of Belgium are revenue-sharing participants in the GP7200 engine program.

The Engine Alliance, a 50/50 joint venture between GE Transportation – Aircraft Engines and Pratt & Whitney, was formed in August 1996 to develop, manufacture, sell, and support a family of modern-technology engines for new high-capacity, long-range aircraft.

LE BOURGET – Development tests continue on the Engine Alliance’s GP7200 engine, which will power the Airbus A380 aircraft.

“We are very pleased with the performance of the engine,” said Bruce Hughes, president of the Engine Alliance. “To date, eight development engines have accumulated more than 4,000 cycles and 1,750 hours of operations. We remain on schedule for engine certification with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in October.”

In November 2004, the Engine Alliance successfully conducted fan blade-out containment on the GP7200 engine. This April, the engine successfully completed three separate bird ingestion tests with four 2.5-pound flocking birds, a 5.5-pound bird and an 8-pound bird. This month, the GP7200 development engines will undergo water ingestion, icing and a 150-hour block endurance testing. These tests are required for FAA engine certification.

Endurance testing on the GP7200 engine will continue beyond the certification test program. Prior to service entry, the eight-engine GP7200 test program will accumulate more than 15,000 “Service Ready” endurance cycles. While four engines will power the A380 aircraft, the Engine Alliance will put the GP7200 engine through the rigorous twin-engine test program called the Extended Twin-Engine Operation (ETOPS) ground demonstration. The test will demonstrate the high reliability of the GP7200 engine.

The second phase of flight tests on GE’s 747 Flying Testbed in Victorville, California, began earlier this month. The tests are validating the engine’s in-flight performance and FADEC software refinements.

The Engine Alliance is on track to support the first flight of the A380 with GP7200 engines. Engines for the flight test will start shipping to Airbus in mid-year.

The GP7200 engine has been tailored to satisfy both current and future thrust requirements of the A380 family of aircraft. The GP7200 will initially certify at 76,500 lbs. (340 kN) of thrust. Subsequent durability endurance testing will be performed to certify the engine at 81,500 lbs. (363 kN) of thrust in 2006 to accommodate future growth for the A380. If needed, the basic GP7200 architecture can accommodate thrust growth up to 84,000 lbs. (374 kN) of thrust.

The GP7200 engine has been selected for 67 of the 120 A380 aircraft ordered with the engines specified. Emirates, Air France, FedEx, and International Lease Finance Corporation have selected the GP7200 engine for their A380 fleets, resulting in firm orders for almost 300 engines valued at more than $3 billion.

The GP7200 benefits from the heritage of the highly successful GE90 and PW4000 families. Building on the GE90 core and the PW4000 low-pressure system, the GP7200 is a refined derivative with an infusion of new, proven technologies. The engine features a hollow-titanium, swept wide-chord fan; a five-stage low-pressure compressor; a nine-stage high-pressure compressor and a two-stage high-pressure turbine; a low-emissions single annular combustor that will meet future emissions regulations with substantial margin; and a six-stage low-pressure turbine.

MTU of Germany, Snecma of France and Techspace Aero of Belgium are revenue-sharing participants in the GP7200 engine program.

The Engine Alliance, a 50/50 joint venture between GE Transportation – Aircraft Engines and Pratt & Whitney, was formed in August 1996 to develop, manufacture, sell, and support a family of modern-technology engines for new high-capacity, long-range aircraft.

VICTORVILLE, CALIFORNIA — The Engine Alliance’s GP7200 engine completed its first flight on December 3, mounted at the inboard location on the left wing of GE’s Boeing 747 flying testbed, at Victorville, California. This first flight, which lasted for nearly three hours, focused on assessing the engine operation and gathering propulsion system data on the nacelle and accessories.

“We are very pleased with the engine’s performance during its first flight test,” said Bruce Hughes, president of the Engine Alliance. “This first flight is another significant milestone for the GP7200 and keeps us on track to support the first flight aboard Airbus’ A380 next year.”

The initial series of seven flight tests will wrap up by the end of December. The second round of flight-testing is scheduled for the spring of 2005.

GP7200 engine certification is targeted for third quarter 2005. First flight on the A380 is set for November 2005 with entry into revenue service powering an Emirates’ A380-800 aircraft in October 2006. Prior to service entry, the nine engines in the GP7200 test program will accumulate more than 16,000 endurance cycles, demonstrating the equivalent of more than 30,000 hours of revenue service on a single engine and exceeding the standards for Extended Twin-Engine Operations (ETOPS).

The GP7200 engine has been tailored to satisfy both current and future thrust requirements of the A380 family of aircraft. The GP7200 will initially be certified at 76,500 pounds (340 kN) of thrust. Subsequent durability endurance testing will be performed to certify the engine at 81,500 pounds (363 kN) of thrust in 2006 to accommodate future growth for the A380. If needed, the basic GP7200 architecture can accommodate thrust growth up to 84,000 pounds (374 kN) of thrust.

The GP7200 engine has been selected for 67 of the 110 A380 aircraft ordered with the engines specified. Emirates, Air France, FedEx, and International Lease Finance Corporation have selected the GP7200 engine for their A380 fleets, resulting in firm orders for almost 300 engines valued at more than $3 billion.

The GP7200 benefits from the heritage of the highly successful GE90 and PW4000 families. Building on the GE90 core and the PW4000 low-pressure system, the GP7200 is a refined derivative with an infusion of new, proven technologies. The engine features a hollow-titanium, swept wide-chord fan; a five-stage low-pressure compressor; a nine-stage high-pressure compressor and a two-stage high-pressure turbine; a low-emissions single annular combustor that will meet future emissions regulations with substantial margin; and a six-stage low-pressure turbine.

MTU of Germany, Snecma Moteurs of France and Techspace Aero of Belgium are revenue-sharing participants in the GP7200 engine program.

The Engine Alliance, a 50/50 joint venture between GE Transportation – Aircraft Engines and Pratt & Whitney, was formed in August 1996 to develop, manufacture, sell, and support a family of modern-technology engines for new high-capacity, long-range aircraft.

EVENDALE, Ohio – Air France Industries, one of Europe’s leading airlines MRO Division, is setting up a maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) center for the GP7200 engine, the best-selling powerplant for the Airbus A380.

The center, to be located in Paris, will serve as a repair facility for the Engine Alliance, a 50/50 joint venture between General Electric Company and Pratt & Whitney, which is developing the GP7200 engine. The Air France facility will work as a part of the Engine Alliance MRO network.

Air France, which has ordered GP7200-powered A380s, is expected to have GP7200 service capability in 2007. The Engine Alliance will provide Air France with a comprehensive technology package. Air France Industries and the Engine Alliance will join forces to offer customer and product support services, supply chain management, logistics for component repair as well as LRU support.

As part of the Engine Alliance’s MRO network, Air France’s proximity to A380 operators will help to reduce operating and overhaul costs and resolve logistics issues.

“This agreement creates a winning combination of Engine Alliance technology and Air France’s reputation for providing world class on-wing and overhaul services,” says Alain Bassil, President of Air France Industries.

“We’re very pleased to have Air France Industries as part of the Engine Alliance MRO network,” added Bruce Hughes, President of the Engine Alliance. “Air France Industries’ capabilities will be an important asset in supporting the growing GP7200 fleet.”

The GP7200 engine is currently under development with engine certification targeted for third quarter 2005. First flight on the A380 is set for November 2005, with entry into revenue service in October 2006.

The GP7200 engine has been selected for 67 of the 110 A380 aircraft ordered with the engines specified. In addition to Air France, Emirates, FedEx, and International Lease Finance Corporation have selected the GP7200 engine for their A380 fleets, resulting in firm orders for almost 300 engines valued at more than $3 billion.

Air France Industries is a leading provider worldwide of multi-product aircraft maintenance service, with more than 400 aircraft supported.

East Hartford, CT and Evendale, OH — The Engine Alliance has named the GE Engine Services facility in Wales as the first link in the Engine Alliance worldwide network of service centers for the new GP7200 engine powering the Airbus A380.

“The Engine Alliance is unique because it can call on the best resources of both Pratt & Whitney and General Electric to support our customers worldwide,” said Lloyd Thompson, president of the Engine Alliance. “We will use our parent company facilities best suited logistically and geographically to provide our customers world-class overhaul and repair capability for their engines. Our goal is to not only provide an excellent engine for the A380 but to back it up with reliable, cost-effective overhaul and repair.”

The GE Wales facility will offer customers a full range of overhaul and repair services. In addition to its experience with the GE90, on which the GP7200 core is based, GE Wales is geographically located to support the Engine Alliance’s initial customers.

The Engine Alliance will manage aftermarket services for the GP7200 engine and will add other MRO facilities to its support network as the GP7200 prepares to enter service in 2006 with Dubai-based Emirates Airlines.

The GP7200 is the market leading powerplant for the Airbus A380 having secured over 60% of the engine orders. It benefits from the heritage of the highly successful GE90 and PW4000 families. Building on the GE90 core and the PW4000 low-pressure system, the GP7200 is a refined derivative with an infusion of new, proven technologies. The engine features a hollow-titanium, swept wide-chord fan; a five-stage low-pressure compressor; a nine-stage high-pressure compressor and a two-stage high-pressure turbine scaled from the GE90-115B; a low-emissions single annular combustor that will meet future emissions regulations with substantial margin; and a six-stage low-pressure turbine.

MTU of Germany, Snecma Moteurs of France and Techspace Aero of Belgium are revenue-sharing participants in the GP7200 engine program.

The Engine Alliance, a 50/50 joint venture between GE Transportation – Aircraft Engines and Pratt & Whitney, was formed in August 1996 to develop, manufacture, sell, and support a family of modern-technology engines for new high-capacity, long-range aircraft.