Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), announced today that it will expand its global network of providers that maintain the Geared Turbofan™ (GTF) engine to include five repair suppliers that will support the PW1100G-JM engine.

Turbine Controls, StandardAero, TWIN MRO, ACMT and Lewis & Saunders will join other GTF maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) providers located around the world. The GTF MRO network currently includes Pratt & Whitney, MTU Aero Engines, Japanese Aero Engines Corporation, Lufthansa Technik and Delta TechOps.

"Shop visits for the GTF engine will continue to grow over the next few years, and it is imperative for Pratt & Whitney to establish a strategic supply base now to enable us to deliver world class turnaround times and reduce cost for our airlines customers," said Heather Walton, senior director, Aftermarket Supply Chain at Pratt & Whitney. "This is an important milestone in repair sourcing as these are the first third-party suppliers to join the GTF engine repair network. These suppliers have had long-term relationships with Pratt & Whitney and deliver a high level of responsiveness, exactly what we are looking for to support our repair network for the GTF engine for years to come."