UTC Aerospace Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), today announced that it has been selected to supply wheels and brakes for eight Asian airlines: Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Hong Kong Airlines, Korean Air, Philippine Airlines and Sichuan Airlines—along with multiple Hainan Airlines Holding Co., Ltd. affiliated airlines. In addition, the company has also signed a landing gear MRO agreement with Singapore Airlines for its A380 aircraft.
Taken together, the selections include more than 550 aircraft and represent more than $250 million in new business for UTC Aerospace Systems. The announcement builds on the $56 million in wheel and brake selections the company announced at the Dubai Air Show in November, and the $180 million in wheel and brake selections it announced at the Paris Air Show in June.
In recent years, UTC Aerospace Systems has seen its wheel and brake business experience significant growth in Asia and the business has invested to position itself for long-term success in the region. To accommodate the growth, the company has doubled the size of its Hong Kong wheel and brake MRO facility, moving to a new, 66,000-square foot location and outfitting it with state-of-the-art equipment. In 2017, the site serviced more than 19,000 wheels, brakes and heat sinks for 54 different airlines.
"At UTC Aerospace Systems, we are committed to investing in the Asia Pacific region to ensure we are delivering superior service to our customers as they continue to experience rapid growth," said Landing Systems President Jim Wharton. "By increasing our MRO capabilities in Asia and continuing to provide best-in-class products, we will help our customers reduce maintenance costs, while enhancing operational efficiency."
UTC Aerospace Systems is an industry leader in wheels and brakes, with 18 million brake landings in service on the 737 NG, 100 million brake landings on the A320ceo and 400,000 brake landings on the A350. The company is known for its patented DURACARB® carbon friction material that delivers an average 35 percent longer brake life over competing carbon materials, enabling airlines to decrease maintenance time and realize additional cost savings. UTC Aerospace Systems' A380 Main Landing Gear has more than 10 years of successful service experience and is used on every A380 aircraft in service today.
Platforms for the wheel and brake selections include:
Air China (737 MAX, A350-900)
China Eastern Airlines (737 MAX, 737 NG, A320neo, A350-900)
China Southern Airlines (737 MAX, 737 NG)
Garuda Indonesia (737 MAX)
Hainan Airlines Holding Co., Ltd. (A320neo)
Hong Kong Airlines (A350-900)
Korean Air (737 MAX)
Philippine Airlines (A350-900)
Sichuan Airlines (A350-900)