KEEPING IN SHIP-SHAPE CONDITION
There are currently more than 500 CFM56 engines in service in India and South Asia, including Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka, power Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft
DELIVERING ON A COMMITMENT made to its customers in 2007, CFM International (CFM) opened in March 2010, the CFM56 Training Centre in Hyderabad. The Hyderabad facility, the fourth such engine maintenance training centre for CFM56 customers worldwide, has the capacity to train 500 engineers annually and mirrors those in China, France and the United States. There are currently more than 500 CFM56 engines in service in India and South Asia, including Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka, power Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft. The state-ofthe-art training centre is fully certified by the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). CFM has said it will have an investment of approximately $15 million over the next decade, including initial start-up costs.
During the inauguration in 2010, the then President and CEO of CFM International, Eric Bachelet, said: “It gives me great pleasure to open this new CFM56 Training Centre on behalf of CFM. We felt that Hyderabad in general, and the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in particular, was the logical location for this new facility. The area is rapidly establishing itself as a regional leader for excellence in aviation and we are proud to be part of it. This CFM facility will provide extensive maintenance training that we believe is simply unequalled in the region.”
The CFM56 Training Centre provides advanced handson courses in line maintenance and borescope inspection for CFM56-7B and CFM56-5B engines, which power Boeing NextGeneration 737 and Airbus A320 families aircraft, respectively. In addition to Indian operators, the facility will also provide training to students from nearby regions such as the Gulf countries, Middle East and Far Eastern countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Since the first CFM56 engines entered service with Jet Airways in 1994, CFM International’s presence in India and South Asia has steadily grown. There are more than 500 CFM56 engines in service or on order in the region powering Airbus and Boeing aircraft for Air India, Air India Express, GoAir, and SpiceJet, as well as airlines in Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka.
“India is one of the most dynamic economies in the world and the long-term potential is virtually limitless,” said Eric Bachelet. “At CFM, we are very pleased and proud to be a part of the aviation infrastructure here in India and to help support the continued growth of this industry in the region.”
CFM also provides in-country support with seven field service engineers in place with its airline customers. In addition, leveraging India’s rich information technology industry, CFM produces CFM56 shop visit and engine maintenance manuals in Bengaluru.
CFM also provides engines for the Indian Government’s VIP fleet of Boeing Business Jets, in addition to commercial applications. In January 2009, the government selected the CFM56-7B-powered Boeing P-8I to provide long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft to the Indian Navy. The P-8I is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon being developed for the US Navy.
Both CFM’s parent companies, Snecma and General Electric, are also heavily investing in India. In 2007, Snecma’s 50/50 joint venture with the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) reached full production capability and supplies tubes and pipes for CFM56 engines. GE has had large commercial engines, such as the CF6 and the GE90, operating in India since 1982. Additionally, both companies have extensive research and development capabilities in the country: GE Aviation’s John F. Welch Technology Center and Safran Aerospace India Pvt Ltd both located in Bengaluru.
On March 17, 2011, barely a year after opening, the CFM International CFM56 Training Centre in Hyderabad won an award as the best engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) training centre in India, in a ceremony in Mumbai. Awarded by the MRO Executive Committee of India, this prize clearly recognised the ability of the Hyderabad centre to train experts to meet the growing needs of a region that is now one of the global leaders in aeronautical excellence. The centre has welcomed quite a number of students since opening.
CFM, a 50/50 joint company between France’s Snecma (Safran Group) and the General Electric Company of the United States, is the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial aircraft engines. The company has delivered over 29,000 engines to date. The LEAP engine has become the preferred choice for nextgeneration single-aisle aircraft with over 10,400 orders received through February 2016.
THE LEAP ENGINE HAS BECOME THE PREFERRED CHOICE FOR NEXTGENERATION SINGLE-AISLE AIRCRAFT WITH OVER 10,400 ORDERS RECEIVED THROUGH FEBRUARY 2016