UTC Aerospace Systems celebrates 25 years of providing nacelles for the Airbus A320 family, looks ahead to the next 25

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Mar 27, 2013, 12:00 ET

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- UTC Aerospace Systems is marking more than 25 years of providing nacelle systems to Airbus for its A320 family of single-aisle aircraft. The Aerostructures business headquartered in Chula Vista, Calif. received its first contract to provide the complete nacelle system for the CFM56-5A engines built by CFM International in 1984. It received another contract to provide the nacelle system for the V2500 engines that power the A320 in 1985. The A320 airplane entered into service on March 28, 1988. Air France was the launch customer. UTC Aerospace Systems is a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).

Since the beginning of the program, the Aerostructures business has made a number of improvements to provide its Airbus customer with the highest level of support for the A320 program. The company's facilities close to the Airbus final assembly line in Toulouse, France have expanded multiple times. The main plant that supports Airbus was further enhanced in 2009 with the addition of a mixed-model moving assembly line to enable higher production rates and assure optimal quality. The company set up a facility in Hamburg, Germany in 1992 to support the A321, A319 and A318 final assembly lines there. In 2011, the company opened a facility in Tianjin, China collocated with the Airbus A320 Final Assembly Line.

"We have now delivered more than 11,000 nacelles for the Airbus A320 family in the past 25 years and we're extremely proud of our collaboration and performance on the program," said UTC Aerospace Systems – Aerostructures President Marc Duvall. "Our relationship with Airbus is an example of companies working together. We have Aerostructures employees embedded at Airbus final assembly locations to install engines and nacelles onto their aircraft. Our on-time delivery performance on a daily basis is very high. It is a textbook case of the kind of progress that can be made when we marry our continuous improvement and lean expertise with relentless customer focus."

In 2011, Airbus selected UTC Aerospace Systems' Aerostructures business to provide the nacelle system for the Pratt & Whitney PurePower® Geared Turbofan™ engines that will power the A320neo (new engine option). The Aerostructures business is also the nacelle provider for the Airbus A350 XWB that is scheduled to enter into service next year. Later this year, the company will complete the expansion of its Toulouse assembly facility for the nacelle system for the Trent XWB engine. The expansion will include a groundbreaking volumetric robotic cell to aid in the assembly process for the A350 XWB nacelle, the largest commercial nacelle that the Aerostructures business has designed and built.

UTC Aerospace Systems also makes a wide range of additional systems for the A320 family including; primary and secondary flight control actuation systems, cabin crew seating, air data sensors, fuel measurement and management systems, ice detection systems, security and surveillance systems, specialty heaters and temperature sensors, electric power generation, ram air turbine emergency power system, fire protection, pilot controls, cabin pressure control and ventilation system, interior and exterior lighting, and wheels & brakes. The company also provides, full authority digital engine control (FADEC)/EEC, main fuel pump, and fuel splitter valve for the V2500 engine.

UTC Aerospace Systems designs, manufactures and services integrated systems and components for the aerospace and defense industries. UTC Aerospace Systems supports a global customer base with significant worldwide manufacturing and customer service facilities.

United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Connecticut, is a diversified company providing high-technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries.

www.utcaerospacesystems.com

SOURCE UTC Aerospace Systems