MUMBAI, India: Air India announced it has performed 124 Pratt & Whitney EcoPower engine washes to date, saving more than 540,000 gallons of fuel worth $1.9 million USD while reducing its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by approximately 5,300 metric tons. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company.

Air India uses Pratt & Whitney's patented, environmentally friendly EcoPower engine wash at its Mumbai International Airport-based service center. As an EcoPower engine wash franchisee, Air India offers the service to other carriers in the region and is able to perform washes on nearly all commercial engines in service today.

"Pratt & Whitney's EcoPower engine wash will help us and our customers decrease operating costs, while reducing fuel burn and CO2 emissions," said Executive Director Mr. S. Rotkar, Air India Sales & Marketing (MRO-SBU). "By using EcoPower engine wash, we estimate about 2.6 million gallons worth approximately $9.0 million USD in annual recurring fuel savings while eliminating more than 25,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions."

"Pratt & Whitney is pleased to partner with Air India and welcomes them to our global EcoPower service network," said William Welch, general manager, Line Maintenance Services, Pratt & Whitney. "As one of the world's fastest growing aviation markets, the demand for engine wash service is expected to grow significantly in India in the coming years. Air India has the capability to expand its wash capacity to meet the market's growing demands."

Air India is India's flag carrier, providing extensive MRO services in the field of line and base maintenance as well as overhaul/repair of engine and components in the south Asian region.

Pratt & Whitney's patented EcoPower engine wash system reduces fuel burn by as much as 1.2 percent, eliminating three pounds of carbon dioxide emissions for every pound of fuel saved, while also decreasing engine gas temperature thus increasing the amount of time an engine can stay on wing. Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines.

United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and commercial building industries.

EcoPower is a registered trademark of United Technologies Corp.

Fuel cost saving estimates is based on 2010 aviation fuel prices in India.

Learn more at www.pw.utc.com

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SOURCE Pratt & Whitney