Safran Nacelles announced during the Singapore Airshow the opening of a new site in Suzhou, China, dedicated to the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of nacelles. It is currently being set up and will be operational in the second quarter of 2022.
Safran Nacelles-owned 5,200m2 (56,000ft2) repair station is located on a Safran complex, which enables the company to benefit from shared corporate services. It is located in the heart of the Suzhou Free Zone, one hour west from Shanghai. This strategic location simplifies the material import and export processes for customers in the Asia region. This new site also complements the company's MRO network, which already covers Europe, the Middle East, the Indian peninsula and the Americas. It will also be used as a storage base for large nacelle components (air inlets, thrust reversers, exhaust, etc.) for the entire Asia region.
Alain Berger, Safran Nacelles' Vice President of Support and Services commented: “I am very pleased to announce the upcoming opening of our repair station in Asia. Our customers operating in the region will be able to benefit from timely, local support and services whilst reducing transport costs. The services offered range from preparation for entry-into-service to withdrawal of their aircraft from operation. Safran Nacelles is able to support them at every stage of their fleet's life. The new repair station enhances our NacelleLifeTM service offer even further."
The site is equipped with a dedicated MRO workshop and highly qualified personnel to repair nacelles and Line Replaceable Units (LRU). The on-site engineers are particularly expert in the repair of composite and metal aerostructures. They can also work on-wing, on aircraft operators' sites and offer Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) guaranteed repair solutions.
Upon opening, the repair station will be certified by the Chinese (CAAC) and European (EASA) Air Authorities for the repair of nacelles and thrust reversers for the Airbus A330ceo, A320neo aircraft equipped with CFM International* LEAP-1 engines, and soon for the COMAC C919. The site teams are already supporting COMAC’s final assembly line to prepare the entry-into-service of their medium-haul airliner.
(*) CFM International is a 50/50 joint venture between Safran Aircraft Engines and GE