PW6000 Steams Ahead: MTU Delivers First Production Engine
08 March 2007 15:21
Hannover – MTU Aero Engines keeps updating the PW6000 success story: on Tuesday, August the 29th, 2006, at MTU Maintenance Hannover in Germany's Langenhagen, the first PW6000 production engine was handed over to customer Pratt & Whitney in the presence of Lower Saxony's economics minister Walter Hirche. Also witnessing the ceremony were representatives of European aircraft maker Airbus.
Bernd Kessler, who in his capacity of MTU Aero Engines president and CEO for commercial maintenance is responsible for MTU Maintenance Hannover, noted: "This is a historic moment for our company. It is the first time in the company's annals that MTU has responsibility for final assembly under a commercial engine program." Final assembly is performed exclusively at MTU's affiliate in Langenhagen.
Kessler wanted it known that siting the assembly line in Langenhagen was not only desirable for its immediate vicinity of the Airbus A318 assembly line in Hamburg: "Rather, it comes also as a strong vote of confidence and token of appreciation on the part of Pratt & Whitney, considering that final assembly normally is the domain of the prime manufacturers, which in our case would be Pratt & Whitney."
In total, MTU Aero Engines has a 33% stake in the PW6000, contributing the low-pressure turbine and high-pressure compressor and performing final engine assembly. The compressor delivers outstanding efficiency and is the best in its class worldwide. It enabled the German engine-manufacturer to launch into the select tough-to-crack commercial market of compressors, essentially the hearts of the engines. MTU boasts decades of compressor expertise in the military arena.
The launch customer of the A318 aircraft with PW6000 engines will be Chile's LAN Airlines. The South American airline expects to buy up to 45 aircraft and 90 engines.
For more information on this company:
MTU Maintenance Hannover - Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) of Commercial Aircraft Engines, Marine and Industrial Gas Turbines
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