Indian Airlines Will Be First Carrier in India to Fly Pratt & Whitney-Powered A330 Aircraft

Released on Friday, February 09, 2007

BANGALORE, India, Feb. 9, 2007 � Indian Airlines will be the first carrier in India to operate Pratt & Whitney-powered Airbus A330s. The airline is scheduled to take delivery of the first of two A330-200 aircraft with PW4000-100" engines in October 2007. Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX) company, and Indian Airlines announced the deal at the Aero India 2007 air show in Bangalore.

"We are delighted that Indian Airlines has chosen Pratt & Whitney PW4168A engines to power their fleet expansion of two A330 aircraft," said James Masotti, Pratt & Whitney's vice president of Commercial Engines and Services. "India is an extremely important market for Pratt & Whitney and we see enormous potential for powering the growth of our Indian customers with the most dependable, best value products and services available."

"It is a matter of pride to be the first to be inducting the high performance wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft," said Vishwapati Trivedi, Indian Airlines' Chairman and Managing Director. "We are also happy to continue to be associated with a reliable engine manufacturer like Pratt & Whitney. Indian has been setting standards in civil aviation over the last 50 years, and is synonymous with efficiency and reliability. The induction of the Pratt & Whitney-powered A330 into our fleet will allow us to further raise our standards of performance."

Indian has a fleet of 74 aircraft including 48 Airbus A320s, six A319s, and 11 Boeing 737 aircraft operated by subsidiary Alliance Air. The airline operates over 300 flights a day to 54 destinations within India and 18 abroad carrying nearly 30,000 passengers a day.

The Pratt & Whitney PW4000-100" engine was designed specifically for the Airbus A330 twinjet. Offered as a complete propulsion system, the PW4000-100" is the most advanced and reliable propulsion system available for the A330. The engine incorporates a number of service-proven technologies in materials, aerodynamics and controls to enhance performance, reliability and durability. The PW4000-100" was the first engine in aviation history to qualify for ETOPS (Extended-range Twin-engine Operations) prior to entering service.

Pratt & Whitney has over 17,000 aircraft engines in service 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.