Opening of fourth CFM56 training center, in India

18.05.2010

After France, the United States and China, it’s India’s turn to host a CFM56 training center. The new center in Hyderabad opened in early 2010, and should play a key role in meeting the challenge of this booming market, which is expected to post the world’s second highest air traffic growth rate over the next 15 years.

The purchase of an engine doesn’t just stop with its delivery and service entry. “An engine sale also includes training sessions that will allow airlines to train their mechanics and engineers in maintenance procedures for the new engine,” explains Daniel Burlon, head of customer training at Snecma (Safran group), and president of the CFM subsidiary in India. Engine servicing by well-trained staff makes a direct contribution to airline performance, since it keeps aircraft in the air and reduces maintenance costs. At the same time, these training sessions are excellent opportunities for the “students” to get to know our product support teams.

From the Middle East to the Philippines
Through this latest training center, Safran and its historic partner GE seek to maximize the chances for success of their flagship engine in India. The new center is located in a 900 square-meter building, of which a third are workshops, and can train some 500 mechanics and engineers a year. “The center will welcome students from a vast area covering all of South Asia, from the Middle East to the Philippines,” notes Daniel Burlon.

Like its counterparts in Montereau, Cincinnati and Chengdu, the Hyderabad training center will mainly offer three types of classes: flight-line maintenance, borescope inspection of engines, and general familiarization, allowing students to gain an overall understanding of the engine and its characteristics. It will also offer courses custom-designed to specific requirements. As Daniel Burlon points out, “The two engines at the Hyderabad center will enable students to practice all maintenance operations on an actual engine in the shop, before making the transition to engines under the wing of a real aircraft.”

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