UTC Aerospace Systems signed a Letter of Intent today with AVIC Xi'an Aircraft Company of China to provide Air Management Systems, including air conditioning pneumatic and cabin pressure control systems, for AVIC Xi'an Aircraft's new MA700 regional turboprop aircraft. UTC Aerospace Systems is a unit of United Technologies Corp..

"We are very pleased to be selected as a supplier on the MA700, continuing our relationship with AVIC Xi'an Aircraft and expanding our presence in China's aviation industry," said Tom Pelland, vice president, Air Management Systems at UTC Aerospace Systems. "This agreement shows our commitment to support AVIC on a successful MA700 program."

UTC Aerospace Systems also supplies multiple systems for AVIC Xi'an Aircraft's growing fleet of MA60/600 regional aircraft, including de-icing systems, lighting, propellers and environment control systems.

"We have had a long-term collaboration with UTC Aerospace Systems," said Wang Chengkuan, general manager of MA700 program and vice president of AVIC Xi'an Aircraft. "Based on the proven success of our collaboration on air management systems for MA60/600 programs, we now extend our collaboration to deploy UTC Aerospace Systems' air management and cabin pressure control systems to our new MA700 program. We believe that this collaboration will create a bright future for the MA700 series aircraft."

UTC Aerospace Systems' air conditioning pneumatic systems govern cabin temperature management and control, fresh airflow, heating and cooling and cargo temperature control. The cabin pressurization and control system is responsible for regulating pressure in the aircraft cabin during flight. The highly fault-tolerant system design minimizes risk of cabin de-pressurization while maximizing safety.

In July, AVIC Xian Aircraft selected Pratt & Whitney Canada's PW150C turboprop engine to power the MA700. Pratt & Whitney Canada is also part of United Technologies Corp.