HYDERABAD, India, Sept. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), announced today the grand opening of its India customer training center in Hyderabad. The training center will be housed at United Technologies Corporation India Pvt ltd ("UTC India"). Aircraft engineers and technicians will be trained on current and new engine models at this facility.
Today, more than 300 aircraft in India are powered by Pratt & Whitney and IAE International Aero Engines AG engines. This number will increase rapidly as the new PurePower® PW1000G family of engines enters service in India with IndiGo, GoAir and Air Costa. The PurePower engine is also known as the Geared Turbofan™ engine, or GTF engine.
"We are laser-focused on readying all aspects of customer support, including opening this new training center close to our customers in India and Asia," said Andrew Tanner, vice president, Pratt & Whitney Customer Service. "Our customers rely on us to provide them with superior support, especially when integrating new engines into their fleet, and we are ready to provide that support."
The Customer Training Center will provide key training for GTF engine and V2500® engine customers, beginning with a capacity of training the equivalent of 2,000 students attending a one-week class per year, with growth capability of up to 4,000 students per year. Building on Pratt & Whitney's world class East Hartford and Beijing training facilities, this third facility in Hyderabad, India, will satisfy training demand in a fast emerging market like India.
"This is the 80th anniversary of Pratt & Whitney's customer training program and we are excited to honor that milestone with this new center, which is committed to providing training to customers in the growing aerospace industry in India," said Palash Roy Chowdhury, country manager/managing director, India, Pratt & Whitney. "Hyderabad is a key location for many of the aircraft operators in this region and we are pleased to bring training nearer to them."
In an effort to promote further aviation education and training, Pratt & Whitney has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Asia to expand undergraduate and graduate aviation and engineering degree opportunities for those in India. This agreement will assist in developing aviation education and training, corporate scholarships and research opportunities between the two institutions, which will benefit the aviation workforce of India and other Asian countries. "We're excited to be a part of Pratt & Whitney's expansion plans in India and hope that this agreement will enable Embry-Riddle to establish the same collaborative relationship we share in the United States," said Graham Hunt, head of Embry-Riddle'sAsia Campus.
Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines and auxiliary power units. United Technologies Corp., based in Farmington, Connecticut, provides high-technology systems and services to the building and aerospace industries. To learn more about UTC, visit its website at www.utc.com, or follow the company on Twitter: @UTC.
The V2500 engine is offered through IAE International Aero Engines AG, a multinational aero engine consortium whose shareholders comprise Pratt & Whitney (NYSE: UTX), Pratt & Whitney Aero Engines International GmbH, Japanese Aero Engines Corporation and MTU Aero Engines.
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SOURCE Pratt & Whitney