Honeywell (NYSE:HON) announced today that it has been selected by Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC) to supply its 131-9[C9C] Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) and associated equipment for the C919 single-aisle commercial airliner.

The new APU design is based on Honeywell's highly successful 131-9 family of APUs, which have more than 51 million hours in commercial service on narrow-body aircraft like the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320. An APU is a small gas-powered turbine engine that provides bleed air for main engine starting and the environmental control system, and electrical power for cockpit and galley systems, either in the air or on the ground.

"Honeywell's 131-9A is the most popular APU for single-aisle commercial aircraft in the world today," said Honeywell Chairman and CEO Dave Cote. "Our APU has proved to be highly reliable, fuel efficient, and quiet in the millions of hours of in-flight service that it has recorded to date. We expect that it will be an important fixture on the C919 for many years to come. The 131-9A is one of many aerospace technologies developed by Honeywell, and we're looking forward to actively participating in the establishment and growth of the Chinese aviation industry."

The Letter of Intent was signed by Mr. Tim Mahoney, President and CEO of Honeywell Aerospace, Mr. Wu Guanghui, Senior Vice President of COMAC, Mr. Yao Yuhai, Chairman of AVIC Dong'an, at a ceremony held in Nanjing today.

"This is a win-win opportunity for both companies. We believe that Honeywell's leading technologies will make the C919 a more reliable and fuel-efficient aircraft. Honeywell's expertise will help to sharpen our competitiveness in the world market and we look forward to the cooperation," said Mr. Zhang Qingwei.

The 131-9[C9C] APU will deliver industry-leading reliability of more than 10,000 hours between unscheduled maintenance and the lowest fuel burn available in its class. The remarkable reliability and efficiency lowers the cost of operations for a C919 aircraft by more than $20,000 a year.

Incorporating its two-stage axial turbine design, the 131-9[C9C] is expected to exceed C919 requirements. The APU will deliver the lowest levels of ramp noise worldwide via noise reduction technologies in engine design, including features integrated into the APU's inlet and exhaust.

In addition to the 131-9[C9C] APU, the award includes a starter/generator system and installation kit, which will also be provided by Honeywell.

Honeywell operates more than 30 subsidiaries and joint ventures throughout China, including Aerospace maintenance and manufacturing facilities in Xiamen, Nanjing, Suzhou, and Shanghai. The Asia Pacific business is based in Shanghai.

Honeywell will collaborate on the C919 program with AVIC Harbin Dongan Engine (Group) Corporation LTD.