Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp., today announced Air China has taken delivery of its first A320neo family aircraft, powered by Pratt & Whitney's PurePower® Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine. This aircraft is the first A320neo to be delivered to a Chinese operator from the Airbus Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Tianjin, China. The delivery comes after Pratt & Whitney recently announced a definitive agreement with Air China Limited and Shenzhen Airlines for 60 A320neo family aircraft, powered by the Pratt & Whitney GTF engine. The contract with Air China includes a 15-year EngineWise™ Fleet Management Program.

"This is an exciting milestone," said Doug Cai, president of Pratt & Whitney China. "We are delighted to see the GTF engine enter into service with Air China, and we are confident that it will continue to achieve its promised fuel burn savings, as well as its reduction in noise footprint and carbon emissions."

Founded in 1988, Air China is China's national flag carrier and a member of the world's largest airline network, Star Alliance.

Contributed by Pratt & Whitney