UTC Aerospace Systems and AVIC Electromechanical Company Limited (AVIC EM) today announced the opening of their joint venture facility: Xi'an AVIC Hamilton Sundstrand Aviation Electric Co., Ltd. (AUAE) located within the Xi'an Hi-tech Industries Development Zone. The joint venture was formed to develop and manufacture the electric power system for the new C919 jetliner, built by Commercial Aviation Corporation of China (COMAC). UTC Aerospace Systems is a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) and AVIC EM is a subsidiary of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).

"The opening of the joint venture facility indicates a new milestone for UTC Aerospace Systems and AVIC EM," said Tim White, president, Electric Systems. "We are committed to a long-term partnership and ready to deliver the best electric power systems for the C919 jetliner."

AUAE is a 50-50 joint venture established by UTC Aerospace Systems' Hamilton Sundstrand Holdings, Inc. and AVIC EM's subsidiary Shaanxi Aero Electric Co., Ltd. to develop and manufacture electric power systems for COMAC's C919 as well as supply UTC Aerospace Systems equipment for the international market.

"We are proud of the opening of this new 6,500-sq-meter facility in Xi'an. It indicates that our joint venture is moving from construction into production," said Yang Hongqi, president, Shaanxi Aero Electric Co., Ltd. and chairman of the joint venture. "We expect to ship the first C919 components in the third quarter of this year and look forward to supporting the first flight of C919, the largest commercial airliner to be designed and built in China."