Aviation suppliers Pratt & Whitney, Rockwell Collins, others applaud Airbus A320 aircraft assembly line in U.S.

MOBILE, Ala., 5 July 2012. Several U.S.-based suppliers to commercial aviation customers are applauding Airbus executives’ decision to establish its first aircraft assembly line in the United States. Among them are Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford, Conn., and Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Executives at Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX), welcomed the news. The company provides engines, its PurePower PW1100G-JM engine and V2500 engine, for the entire Airbus A320 family of aircraft. To date, Pratt & Whitney has announced 976 firm engine orders for the PurePower PW1100G-JM engines for the A320neo family of aircraft. The PW1100G-JM engine will be the first engine to power the narrow-body aircraft when it enters service in 2015.

"Airbus' decision to open a new production facility and create high-tech jobs here in the United States is a very positive sign for the entire aerospace industry," says UTC Chairman and Chief Executive, Louis Chenevert.

"Today's announcement by Airbus is great news for the American aerospace industry and American workers," says Pratt & Whitney President David Hess.

“We applaud the decision of Airbus to establish a U.S. manufacturing center in Mobile, Ala., an economic zone with great potential,” says Dawne Hickton, president and CEO of RTI International Metals, an Airbus North American titanium supplier.

"In today’s global aerospace environment, building and maintaining close relationships – which many times means local relationships – are extremely important for future growth. Airbus’ new phase of growth in the U.S. will allow for greater collaboration and efficiency with top-tier suppliers like Rockwell Collins, and provide valuable job opportunities for the U.S. aviation workforce,” says Clay Jones, chairman, president, and CEO at Rockwell Collins.