FARNBOROUGH – The Engine Alliance’s GP7200 engine, the best-selling engine on the Airbus A380, is exceeding performance expectations for specific fuel consumption and exhaust gas temperature margin during initial ground testing.

The first GP7200 engine completed ground testing in April at Pratt & Whitney’s test facility in East Hartford, Connecticut. This engine reached 88,000 pounds (391 kN) thrust, exceeding the 70,000 pounds (311 kN) thrust required for entry into service. Altitude testing on this engine is currently underway at the U.S. Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Center in Tullahoma, Tennessee, to evaluate the engine’s low-pressure compressor performance and operability.

A second development engine began ground testing in early May at GE’s outdoor test facility near Peebles, Ohio. Later this summer, the engine will begin a 700-cycle endurance test to evaluate hardware durability at operating conditions more severe than expected in airline service.

Ground testing on the third development engine will begin in September at Pratt & Whitney’s West Palm Beach, Florida, site. This engine will undergo low spool stress testing.

First flight of the GP7200 on GE’s 747 Flying Testbed aircraft is scheduled for this fall. Engine certification is targeted for third quarter 2005. First flight on the A380 is set for November 2005, with entry into revenue service powering the Emirates’ A380-800 aircraft in October 2006. Prior to service entry, the GP7200 program will accumulate more than 20,000 endurance cycles and 7,000 hours of operation on eight test engines, exceeding the standards for Extended Twin-Engine Operations (ETOPS).

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 GP7000 engine family 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 early 2006 to accommodate future growth for the A380. If needed, the basic GP7000 architecture can accommodate thrust growth up to 84,000 pounds (374 kN) of thrust.

The GP7000 benefits from the ETOPS reliability heritage of the highly successful GE90 and PW4000 engine families. Building on the proven GE90 core and the PW4000 low-pressure system, the GP7200 is a refined derivative with an infusion of new, proven technologies. The GP7200 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 GP7000 engine program.

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

FARNBOROUGH – The Engine Alliance has unveiled a new logo that draws from the heritage of the parent companies, General Electric and Pratt & Whitney, and establishes a separate, distinct brand identity for the partnership.

“When the Engine Alliance launched in 1996, we relied heavily on the reputations of our parent companies,” said Lloyd Thompson, president of the Engine Alliance. “Over the years, the Engine Alliance has proven itself as a viable engine designer and manufacturer. The new logo symbolizes our evolution to an integrated entity with solid credibility. The Engine Alliance will continue to execute its program certification and product support commitments utilizing the resources of GE and Pratt & Whitney.”

Ground testing is under way on the GP7200 engine, which will power Airbus’ new A380 aircraft. Prior to service entry, the GP7200 program will accumulate more than 20,000 endurance cycles and 7,000 hours of operation on eight test engines.

First flight of the GP7200 on GE’s 747 Flying Testbed aircraft is scheduled for this fall. Engine certification is targeted for third quarter 2005. First flight on the A380 is set for November 2005, with entry into revenue service powering Emirates’ A380-800 aircraft in October 2006.

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 engine family will be certified at 81,500 pounds (363 kN) of thrust with potential for growth up to 84,000 pounds (374 kN).

The GP7000 benefits from the heritage of the highly successful GE90 and PW4000 families. Building on the GE90 core and the PW4000 low-pressure system, the GP7000 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.

East Hartford, CT — The GE-P&W Engine Alliance’s GP7200 engine has produced more than the 76,500 pounds of thrust required for entry into service on the Airbus A380 aircraft during its initial testing. The engine reached 80,000 pounds of thrust at Pratt & Whitney’s test facility in East Hartford, CT. In addition, the mechanical break-in cycle of the engine testing was complete, and mechanical stress levels were satisfactory.

The second and third test engines are in final assembly at Pratt & Whitney’s manufacturing facility in Middletown, CT. The second engine will begin ground testing later this month at GE Aircraft Engines’ testing facility near Peebles, OH.

The GP7200 engine is the best-selling propulsion system for Airbus’ new four-engine A380 aircraft. It has been selected for 67 of the 110 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.

Prior to service entry in 2006, the GP7200 program plans to accumulate more than 20,000 endurance cycles and 7,000 hours of operation on eight test engines, exceeding the standards set by previous engines qualified for Extended Twin-Engine Operations (ETOPS). First flights of the GP7200 on GE’s 747 Flying Testbed aircraft are scheduled to begin in September. Engine certification is targeted for mid-2005, with entry into revenue service powering A380-800 aircraft of Emirates scheduled for 2006.

The GP7200 engine family will be certified at 81,500 pounds (363 kN) of thrust with potential for growth up to 84,000 pounds (374 kN).

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 GP7000 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 GE-P&W Engine Alliance, a 50/50 joint venture between GE 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.

SINGAPORE — With several GP7200 engine component tests successfully completed, the GE-P&W Engine Alliance is receiving and assembling hardware for its first full engine test, scheduled for early this year.

The GE-PW Engine Alliance’s GP7200 engine is the best-selling propulsion system for Airbus’ new A380 aircraft, having been selected by Emirates, Air France, FedEx, and International Lease Finance Corporation.

2004 is a key year of validation testing for the GP7200, with testing of the first full engine, and early stages of certification testing, leading to the first flights of the GP7200 on GE’s 747 Flying Testbed aircraft. Certification of the GP7200 by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the European Joint Aviation Authorities is targeted for mid-2005, with entry into revenue service powering A380-800 aircraft of Emirates scheduled for 2006.

For the last three years, the Engine Alliance has completed several component tests to validate technologies before the assembly of the first full engine. Those tests include:

Swept Fan. A 108-inch (275-cm) diameter wide-chord, hollow-titanium, swept fan completed testing on a modified PW4098 engine at Pratt & Whitney’s West Palm Beach, Florida, facility to evaluate performance, noise, operability, and aeromechanics. Simulated bird-impact testing was also conducted. The final production fan will have a 116-inch (295-cm) diameter design.

Full Annular Combustor. High-pressure rig testing of the low-emission single annular combustor was completed at GE’s Evendale, Ohio, facility with better than expected results for emissions, component temperatures, and combustion pattern factors.

Low-Pressure Turbine (LPT) Test. The GP7200 LPT successfully completed a series of tests at MTU of Germany to evaluate performance and noise reduction enhancements, which are being incorporated into the full engine. Performance met or bettered pre-test predictions.

Compressor Core Test. Two core engine builds have accumulated almost 400 hours of testing that served to validate performance and operability improvements in the 9-stage high-pressure compressor, consistent with performance commitments to customers. In March 2004, a third GP7200 development core will undergo testing at GE’s Evendale facility to validate additional enhancements for the first full engine.

“Component testing has confirmed the goals we set for performance, emissions and noise characteristics,” said Lloyd Thompson, president of the GE-P&W Engine Alliance. “Future regulatory requirements for noise and emissions significantly shaped the design of this engine.”

The GP7200 engine family will be certified at 81,500 pounds (363 kN) of thrust with potential for growth up to 84,000 pounds (374 kN). Two thrust ratings will be offered: the GP7270 at 70,000 pounds (311 kN) for the A380-800, and the GP7277 at 76,500 pounds (340 kN) for the A380-800F.
The GP7200 features a hollow-titanium, swept 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 to meet future emissions regulations with substantial margin, and a six-stage low-pressure turbine

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 GP7000 is a refined derivative with an infusion of new, proven technologies.

GP7200 program planning calls for the type design engine to accumulate more than 20,850 endurance cycles and 7,000 hours of operation on eight test engines prior to service entry, exceeding standards set by previous ETOPS-qualified engines.

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

The GE-P&W Engine Alliance, a 50/50 joint venture between GE 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.

SINGAPORE — The GE-P&W Engine Alliance represents the strengths of the two leading aircraft engine manufacturers in the world, backed by two of the world’s most successful, financially stable companies, General Electric and United Technologies, parent of Pratt & Whitney.

Created in 1996, the Engine Alliance is a 50/50 joint venture between GE Aircraft Engines and Pratt & Whitney to develop, manufacture, sell and support a family of engines for the new class of high-capacity, long-range aircraft, such as the Airbus A380.

The Engine Alliance is using state-of-the-art technology from GE and Pratt & Whitney, building on both companies’ long history in commercial aviation to deliver engines with unprecedented reliability, performance, proactive environmental compatibility and value.

To date, airlines such as Emirates, Air France, FedEx and leasing giant International Lease Finance Corporation have purchased 200 GP7200 family engines for their A380s. Emirates will be the first to put the engine into service in 2006.

The Engine Alliance enjoys the full backing of General Electric and United Technologies which gives the GP7000 family a firm foundation. The strengths of GE and UTC-Pratt & Whitney include:
– Some 35,000 large commercial aircraft engines with hundreds of millions of hours of service at airlines worldwide.
– A customer support network that covers the world.
– Overhaul, repair and service centers at more than 50 locations around the globe.
– Partnerships with MTU of Germany, Snecma Moteurs of France and Techspace Aero of Belgium for the GP7000.

The GE-P&W Alliance is currently focused on developing and validating two models of the GP7000 family. The GP7270, rated at 70,000 pounds of thrust, will be used on the A380-800 passenger model and the GP7277, at 77,000 pounds of thrust, will power the A380-800 freighters. The base engine will be certified at more than 81,000 pounds of thrust so that it accommodates future growth of the A380 family.

DUBAI – Emirates, the Dubai-based international airline, has selected the GE-P&W Engine Alliance GP7200 engine to power the airline’s follow-on order for 23 Airbus A380 aircraft.

The contract award calls for the GE-PW Engine Alliance to supply 92 installed and 9 spare GP7200 engines to power a fleet of 21 A380s purchased by Emirates, as well as two A380 aircraft leased from International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC). The delivery of these A380 aircraft, which will be configured for 550 passengers, begins in 2009.

The value of the engine contract to the Engine Alliance for the GP7200 engines purchased by Emirates for this follow-on A380 aircraft order exceeds $1.5 billion. This latest contract follows Emirates’ 2002 announcement to purchase GP7200 engines for 22 A380 aircraft. Delivery of those aircraft begins in September 2006.

Lloyd Thompson, President of the Engine Alliance, said, “We are delighted to have won the follow-on engine contract for the A380 selection and appreciate Emirates’ confidence in our GP7200 engine.”

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Emirates, said: “We are pleased to increase our business relationship with the Engine Alliance and are confident in its commitment to deliver an engine that will meet the airline’s expectations.”

One of the world’s fastest growing airlines, Emirates is the largest customer for the Airbus A380, as well as for the Engine Alliance’s GP7200 engine. In combining the 45 A380 aircraft being acquired by the airline, Emirates will have a total of 199 GP7200 engines valued at more than $3 billion. Emirates will also be the first airline to put the engine into service.

Sheikh Ahmed added: “Emirates is fully committed to participate during the design and development of the engine. This working together will provide a great advantage to both the airline as well as the manufacturer.”

Thompson added: “Emirates’ continuous feedback is very valuable in the development phase of the GP7200, and we are very pleased to be working with an airline like Emirates.”

When the A380 enters Emirates’ fleet in 2006, the airline anticipates flying more than twice as many passengers as today, with the A380 operating from Dubai to Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America.

The GP7200 engine is the best-selling engine for the A380, having been selected for 67 aircraft on firm order of the 110 aircraft ordered with engines specified. The A380 aircraft orders placed by Emirates, Air France, FedEx, and ILFC result in firm orders with the Engine Alliance for approximately 300 GP7200 engines.

2003 has been a year of technology validation and risk-reduction testing of various GP7200 components. 2004 will be a key year for validation testing of the first full engine and early stages of certification testing, leading to the first flights of the GP7200 on GE’s 747 Flying Testbed aircraft. GP7200 certification by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Agency is targeted for mid-2005.

Created in 1996, the Engine Alliance is a 50/50 joint venture between GE Aircraft Engines and Pratt & Whitney to develop, manufacture, sell, and support a family of engines for the new class of high-capacity, long-range aircraft such as the A380. GE and P&W revenue-sharing program participants in the GP7200 are Snecma Moteurs of France, MTU of Germany, and Techspace Aero of Belgium.

EVENDALE, Ohio — International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) has selected engines from the GE-P&W Engine Alliance for up to 14 new Airbus A380 aircraft.

The engine agreement, covering four firm and ten option A380s, is valued at $200 million for the firm aircraft and a total of $800 million if all options are exercised. This is the first firm engine order ILFC has placed for its A380 fleet.

The Engine Alliance will provide both the 70,000-pound thrust GP7270 for passenger versions and the 77,000-pound thrust GP7277 for freighters. The aircraft and engines will be delivered between 2007 and 2012.

“ILFC is known around the world for owning and managing one of the largest and most advanced commercial aircraft leasing fleets,” said Lloyd Thompson, president of the Engine Alliance. “We are proud that they have selected our engine as the first firm engine order for the ILFC A380 fleet.”

The GP7000 engine family combines the business and technology strengths of Pratt & Whitney (NYSE:UTX) and GE Aircraft Engines (NYSE:GE) whose engines power the vast majority of large commercial aircraft in service today. With the ILFC order, the Engine Alliance has won more than half of all A380 engine orders decided to date. Other customers include Air France, Emirates and FedEx. All A380 freighters ordered to date will be powered by the GP7277.

“Our airline customers demand superior performance and reliability from their aircraft and engines,” said Steven F. Udvar-Hazy, chairman and chief executive officer of ILFC. “We have worked with GE and Pratt for many years now. Together they bring the best of their two great companies to the A380, the world’s largest commercial aircraft.”

The Engine Alliance is designing the GP7200 specifically for the 550-plus passenger Airbus A380. The engine’s pedigree comes from two of the most successful wide-body engine programs in aviation history — the GE90 and PW4000 families. These engines have demonstrated industry leading ETOPS reliability from service entry. Building on the GE90 core and the PW4000 low-pressure modules, the GP7200 will deliver unprecedented performance, reliability, environmental compatibility, and customer value. Development is on schedule to support a 2006 entry into service.

FARNBOROUGH, England – The GE-P&W Engine Alliance has begun preliminary engine design on the GP7200 engine family for the Airbus A380 and is on track to run the first full engine test in second quarter 2004.

The GP7200 engine family will be certified at 81,500 pounds (363 kN) of thrust and will be offered at two thrust ratings: the GP7270 at 70,000 pounds (311 kN), and the GP7277 at 76,500 pounds (340 kN), with potential for growth to more than 84,000 pounds (374 kN).

To date, Emirates Airlines has ordered GP7270 engines to power 20 firm A380 passenger aircraft and GP7277 engines to power two firm A380 freighter aircraft, which are scheduled to begin delivery in September 2006. Air France has ordered GP7270 engines to power 10 firm A380 passenger aircraft, which are scheduled to begin delivery in the fourth quarter of 2006.

The GP7200 engine features a 116-inch (295-cm) hollow titanium fan blade with “swept” aerodynamics, chosen primarily to comply with stringent noise requirements as well as for superior performance and durability. The GP7200 also incorporates a low-emissions single annular combustor that will ensure the engine meets, with substantial margin, the CAEP4 emissions standards of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, in anticipation of more stringent future regulations. The GP7000 will reduce engine specific fuel consumption by 10 percent versus current-technology four-engined aircraft powerplants, thereby decreasing overall operating costs by a significant margin.

The GP7200 offers the best combination of reliability and value, and is designed to deliver the lowest cost of ownership from service entry. Its performance will support the long-range missions of the A380, while substantially increasing time on wing. The Engine Alliance’s design strategy will provide A380 operators with an aircraft that surpasses requirements for lower emissions, noise and fuel burn.

The GP7200 benefits from the heritage of the GE90 and PW4000 families, which have accumulated more than five million hours in commercial service. The GP7200 has taken the base provided by these outstanding products and added technology for customer benefit. The Engine Alliance has already begun development and verification testing, including two development core engine tests that totaled approximately 400 hours. GP7200 component tests are ongoing, with the third development core engine slated to go to test next year as part of the GP7200 strategy to continually improve performance and mature technology.

The Engine Alliance successfully completed aerodynamic rig tests of the two-stage high-pressure turbine (HPT) in May 2002 and is currently conducting annular combustor sector rig tests to evaluate emissions and altitude relight characteristics. The Engine Alliance is also developing an increased temperature-capable powder metal alloy for the HPT disks and will conduct a technology demonstration of noise-reduction chevron nozzles. If successful, the Engine Alliance will incorporate further aero refinements from a third core test in early 2003.

The Engine Alliance will begin detailed engine design in December 2002 and will run the first full engine test in second quarter 2004. Current plans call for the type design to accumulate over 23,000 endurance cycles and 7,200 hours of operation on eight test engines prior to entry into service, exceeding normal standards for ETOPS-qualified engines. The Engine Alliance will run 9,000 cycles of testing beyond what is required for ETOPS engine certification.

The GP7200 is scheduled to be certified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the Joint Aviation Authorities of the European Economic Community in mid-2005. First flight on the A380 is scheduled for January 2006, followed by entry into service later that year.

Within the GE-P&W Engine Alliance, Pratt & Whitney is responsible for the fan, low-pressure compressor, low-pressure turbine, and accessory gearbox modules, and GE Aircraft Engines is responsible for the engine core (high-pressure compressor, combustor, and high-pressure turbine) and full authority digital electronic control system.

Pratt & Whitney successfully tested a 42-percent-scale GP7200 swept fan blade design on Pratt & Whitney’s Advanced Technology Fan Integrator (ATFI) demonstrator engine earlier this year. Derived from three million hours of service experience on the PW4000-powered Boeing 777, the GP7200 hollow titanium fan blade with swept aerodynamics will have the same durability as the PW4000 fan blade. The new blade design allows the Engine Alliance to deliver the quietest and best performing engine for the A380.

GEAE and P&W engines have a combined record of over 250 million hours of experience on wide-body aircraft. The GP7000 family is derived from the GE90-115B and PW4000, two of the most successful wide-body engines in recent aviation history. The core, which features an advanced nine-stage high-pressure compressor, represents the latest configuration in GE’s strategic stall-free plan for compressor architecture that is common for the GP7200 and the GE90-115B.

In addition to GEAE and P&W, MTU of Germany, Snecma Moteurs of France and Techspace Aero of Belgium are revenue-sharing participants in the GP7200 engine program.

The GE-P&W Engine Alliance, a 50/50 joint venture between GE 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.

DUBAI – Emirates, the international airline of the UAE, has signed an agreement with the GE-P&W Engine Alliance to purchase the GP7000 engine family to power the airline’s Super Jumbo Airbus A380-800 aircraft.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed earlier this year at the Singapore Air Show for 88 firm GP7200 engines, an order which has a list price, including options, of approximately $1.5 billion. It is the largest single engine order for the A380 aircraft.

Emirates is the main launch customer of the A380, with 22 firm aircraft and 10 options. The first aircraft is expected to be delivered by September 2006.

Emirates’ Chairman, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, signed the General Terms Agreement (GTA) with Lloyd B. Thompson, President of the GE-P&W Engine Alliance, on Wednesday in Dubai. Sheikh Ahmed said: “We are pleased to be one of the first customers for the GE-P&W Engine Alliance and to be involved throughout with the design of its new GP7000 engines, which will give us a great opportunity to share our airline experience with our new partners.”

Emirates’ order is for GP7270 engines, rated at 70,000 pounds (311 kN) of thrust, to power its 20 passenger versions of the A380-800 aircraft and GP7277 engines, rated at 76,500 (340 kN) pounds of thrust, to power the two freighters included in the aircraft order.

The Alliance’s Thompson said: “The GE-P&W Engine Alliance, along with its parent companies, GE Aircraft Engines and Pratt & Whitney, look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship.”

Emirates, one of the world’s fastest-growing airlines, operates a modern fleet of aircraft which boasts an average age of just three years and includes Boeing and Airbus aircraft. With the recent addition of new routes to Casablanca and Khartoum, Emirates flies to 58 destinations in 41 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Far East, Asia and Australia.

The Engine Alliance, a 50/50 joint venture between GEAE and P&W, a United Technologies company (NYSE: UTX), was formed in August 1996 to develop, manufacture, sell and support a family of modern technology engines for high-capacity, long-range aircraft. GEAE’s share participants are Snecma Moteurs of France and MTU of Germany, while Pratt & Whitney has also retained MTU as a share participant.

HERSTAL, BELGIUM – Pratt & Whitney has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Belgian company Techspace Aero for a participation on the GP7000 Engine Program, which will equip the future 555 passenger Airbus A380.

Techspace Aero will be responsible for the design, the development and the production of the low pressure compressor module.

This signature was greeted with enthusiasm by both partners, Pratt & Whitney and Techspace Aero, which have a long tradition of excellent co-operation on other different other engine programs, such as F100 and PW4000.

“We have successfully partnered with Techspace Aero on other Pratt & Whitney engine models and look forward to working with them on this exciting engine program,” said Robert F. Leduc, Pratt & Whitney chief operating officer and president of the Commercial Engines business.

“We’re excited about this new partnership which confirms our expertise in low pressure compressor. Our teams are ready to work on this new wonderful challenge“ concluded Jean-Lin Fournereaux, Chief Executive Officer of Techspace Aero and Jean-Christophe Dalla Toffola, General Manager, Strategy, Commerce & Programs.

In February, Emirates, the Dubai-based international airline, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the GE-P&W Engine Alliance for its GP7000 family of engines to power 22 firm and 10 option Airbus A380-800 aircraft.

The GP7000 has begun development and verification testing, including two core engines that demonstrated stall-free, high-efficiency performance of the high pressure compressor. Component tests are ongoing, with the third core engine slated to go to test early next year to continually improve performance and mature technology. Aerodynamic rig tests of the two-stage high pressure turbine began in January 2002.

Within the Engine Alliance, Pratt & Whitney is responsible for the fan, low pressure compressor, low pressure turbine, and accessory gearbox modules.

Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies company (NYSE: UTX), is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines.

Techspace Aero, a Snecma Group company, designs, develops and produces engine modules, equipment and systems for aircraft and spacecraft propulsion. The company is also specialized in engine maintenance , in repair and overhaul services as well as in testing facility engineering.