Today, Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) welcomed an Airbus announcement that it will establish a manufacturing facility in the United States to assemble and deliver A320 family aircraft. The new Airbus plant will be located at the Brookley Aeroplex in Mobile, Alabama, and it will be Airbus' first U.S.-based production facility. Pratt & Whitney provides engines for the entire Airbus A320 family of aircraft - the PurePower® PW1100G-JM engine and the V2500 engine through IAE International Aero Engines.

"Airlines continue to recognize the tremendous value of the A320 aircraft as they upgrade their fleets. 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," said UTC Chairman and Chief Executive, Louis Chenevert. "I applaud the Airbus leadership team for their vision and long-term commitment to supporting customers in the United States and around the world."

"Today's announcement by Airbus is great news for the American aerospace industry and American workers," said Pratt & Whitney President, David Hess. "Pratt & Whitney looks forward to building on our longstanding partnership with Airbus and powering many of the aircraft being assembled in Mobile."

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 world's best-selling narrowbody aircraft when it enters service in 2015.

IAE is a multinational aero engine consortium whose shareholders consist of Pratt & Whitney, Pratt & Whitney Aero Engines International GmbH, Japanese Aero Engines Corporation (JAEC) and MTU Aero Engines GmbH (MTU). To date, over 5,000 V2500 engines have been delivered and nearly 2,000 more engines are on order for the Airbus A320 family of aircraft.