RTX's Pratt & Whitney broadens manufacturing capabilities in Columbus, Georgia

Pratt & Whitney, an RTX business, is investing $200 million to expand the capabilities and footprint of its Columbus, Georgia, operations, which support commercial and military engine programs. With this new investment, Pratt & Whitney is adding a seventh isothermal forging press at its Columbus Forge facility. This addition is expected to increase output of critical parts, such as rotating compressor and turbine disks, by 30% to support commercial Geared Turbofan (GTF), military F135, and other engine programs. The isothermal forging press is expected to become operational in 2028.

The latest investment at the Columbus Forge facility follows an 81,000-square-foot GTF MRO expansion at Pratt & Whitney's Columbus Engine Center, located on the same campus. This $70 million expansion added advanced equipment and machinery that align with the company's Industry 4.0 strategy. The facility's annual capacity increased by more than 25%, adding critical overhaul volume to the GTF MRO network in support of the growing fleet.

"Over the past four decades and with the support of the Columbus community, state, and governor, Pratt & Whitney's presence in Georgia has grown from a small manufacturing facility to a state-of-the-art manufacturing and overhaul center, employing over 2,600 dedicated people focused on our mission: to connect and protect our world," said Pratt & Whitney President Shane Eddy. "Since 2008, we have invested more than $1 billion to continue expanding the footprint and capabilities of our Columbus facility. This latest investment will increase output of critical parts for our growing military and commercial engine programs and underscores our ongoing commitment to ramp industrial capacity to support our customers."

"Pratt & Whitney's decision to invest in Georgia immediately after just completing another major expansion is an incredible testament to how companies that operate in our state find reliable, ongoing, and long-term success," said Gov. Brian Kemp. "Throughout its more than 40 years in Columbus, Pratt & Whitney has been a valued partner and driver of the impact our aerospace industry is delivering statewide. We're grateful that this partnership will only continue to grow and flourish, benefiting this cutting-edge job creator, the people of Columbus and all of Georgia."

The Pratt & Whitney Columbus, Georgia site is located about 90 miles south of Atlanta and is comprised of the Columbus Engine Center and Columbus Forge. The Columbus Engine Center maintains Pratt & Whitney GTF engines for the Airbus A320neo aircraft family, Airbus A220, and Embraer E-Jets E2, along with F117 and F100 military engines for the C-17 transport, and F-15/F-16 fighters, respectively. Columbus Forge produces compressor airfoils, and compressor and turbine disks for Pratt & Whitney's commercial and military engines, including the GTF and F135, which powers all three variants of the 5th Generation F-35 Lightning II fighter.

To date, more than 2,600 GTF-powered aircraft have been delivered to more than 90 customers worldwide. To date, Pratt & Whitney has delivered more than 1,300 F135 production engines to a global enterprise that includes 20 allied nations around the world.