Pratt & Whitney, an RTX business unit, has announced a $206m investment plan to expand the capabilities and footprint of its Columbus, Georgia business, which supports commercial and military engine programmes.

The investment is expected to create around 400 new jobs by the end of 2028, and will go toward the purchase of new machinery, equipment and an 81,000ft² expansion of the Columbus Engine Center. The footprint expansion will also increase overhaul capacity to 400 GTF engines per year.

"Pratt & Whitney has been doing business in Georgia for nearly 40 years and in that time, our Columbus business has grown from a small manufacturing facility to a large, state-of-the-art manufacturing and overhaul centre, where we employ approximately 2,000 employees," said Shane Eddy, president of Pratt & Whitney. "We remain committed to supporting manufacturing jobs in Georgia and see an incredible opportunity to expand our workforce and our company's capabilities in Columbus, aligned with our Industry 4.0 strategy. This investment will help ensure that we have the infrastructure, machinery and equipment upgrades in place to provide the best products and services to our customers worldwide. The tremendous support we receive from the community and state have contributed to our success in Georgia."

Pratt & Whitney will work in partnership with Georgia QuickStart to recruit and train new employees.

"Not every state has the opportunity to announce new jobs and opportunities with an industry leader and great partner like Pratt & Whitney at the Paris Air Show," said governor Brian Kemp. "Georgia is a top five exporter of aerospace products in the US, totalling $9.2bn in 2022, alone. From the flights that go through the world's most utilized airport to the engines in the very airplanes, the Peach State is crucial to the movement of goods and products. Pratt & Whitney's decision to expand will only further that reputation."

The Pratt & Whitney Columbus, Georgia business is located about 90 miles south of Atlanta and is comprised of the Columbus Engine Center and Columbus Forge, which operate on a single campus.

The Columbus Engine Center maintains Pratt & Whitney GTF engines for the Embraer E-Jets E2, Airbus A220 and Airbus A320neo aircraft families along with F117 and F100 engines. Columbus Forge produces compressor airfoils and nickel and titanium forgings, which are machined into critical rotating components for Pratt & Whitney's commercial and military engines – including the GTF as well as the F135 engine, powering the F-35.

www.prattwhitney.com