From the Pyrenees to the limitless skies

Safran Helicopter Engines has a long-tradition of naming its engines after features in the Pyrenees mountains, which overlook its Bordes headquarters. Arriel is a famous peak near the French-Spanish border, Arrius is the name of a high-altitude lake, and Makila refers to a traditional Basque walking stick with a hidden spike that can turn it, if necessary, into a weapon. Recently, we chose the name Arrano for our new 1100-1300 shp engine, after a majestic black eagle featured in Basque folklore.

For us, these names reflect pride in our 75-year history, which started where we are now, at the foot of the mountains, and our determination to continue delivering safe, affordable and high-performance engines.