TOKYO, Oct. 9, 2007 – Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. has selected Pratt & Whitney’s next generation Geared TurbofanTM engine to power the new Mitsubishi Regional Jet.  The sole-source agreement is the first airframe application for the Geared Turbofan engine, which targets a significant reduction in fuel burn and noise with lower environmental emissions and operating costs than today’s engines.  Pratt & Whitney is a division of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX). “We believe the Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan engine offers a technological breakthrough that will provide the best economy and performance for the Mitsubishi Regional Jet,” said Kazuo Tsukuda, President, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.  “The MRJ will offer airline customers best in class fuel efficiency and environmental performance with superior cabin comfort.” The Mitsubishi Regional Jet is a 70 to 90 passenger aircraft.  MHI expects demand for about 5,000 aircraft of the MRJ’s class in the global regional jet market over the next 20 years.

“We are very excited to continue our long partnership with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries by powering the Mitsubishi Regional Jet with our game-changing Geared Turbofan engine,” said Steve Finger, President, Pratt & Whitney.  “The Geared Turbofan is the only engine on the market that can deliver the step-change improvements in fuel burn, environmental performance and operating costs that airlines are demanding for their next generation aircraft.”

In a Geared Turbofan engine, a state-of-the-art gear system allows the engine’s fan to operate independent of the low-pressure compressor and turbine, resulting in greater fuel efficiency and a slower fan speed for less noise.  The Geared Turbofan engine builds on more than 20 years of development with technology improvements in every major module.  With full scale engine testing scheduled to begin later this year and flight testing in 2008, the Geared Turbofan technology program supports Mitsubishi Regional Jet’s development timeline.

Pratt & Whitney has over 17,000 aircraft engines installed with hundreds of airlines throughout the world.  Additionally, Pratt & Whitney 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.

This release includes "forward-looking statements" concerning new products and anticipated future revenues.  These matters are subject to risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or implied in forward looking statements include the health of the global economy and strength of end market demand in the commercial aerospace industry; challenges in the design, development, production and support of advanced technologies and new products and services; and delays and disruption in delivery of materials and services from suppliers. For information identifying other important economic, political, regulatory, technological, competitive and other uncertainties, see UTC’s 10-K and 10-Q Reports submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including the information under the headings "Business," "Risk Factors," "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Cautionary Note Concerning Factors that May Affect Future Results," as well as the information included in UTC’s Current Reports on Form 8-K.

Source: Pratt & Whitney
For further information about Pratt & Whitney, click here