The Hindu Business Line : CFM plans training centre in GMR’s Aviation SEZ

Hyderabad, Oct. 30. GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd., (GHIAL), has signed an agreement with the leading aircraft engine manufacturer, CFM International (CFM), to establish a new CFM56 maintenance training centre to support its customers in the South Asian region.

CFM International is a 50/50 joint venture between Snecma (SAFRAN Group) of France and General Electric Company (GE) of the US.

This training centte, which will commence operations in January, will be located in the GMR Aerospace Park, being developed in the exclusive 250 acre aviation SEZ, that forms part of the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport complex.

This aviation SEZ has been recently notified by the Union Government. GHIAL will build the facility and lease it to CFM. An agreement, which cements a memorandum of agreement executed in January 2009, was signed here in the presence of the French Minister for Foreign Trade, Ms Anne-Marie Idrac, by Mr P. Sripathy, CEO of GMR Hyderabad International Airport, and Mr Paul-Andre Chevrin, CFM International Vice-President for India.

Mr G.M. Rao, Group Chairman, GMR Group, commenting on the occasion said, “ This centre will help India’s airline companies considerably reduce costs and aircraft down time, and also conserve valuable foreign exchange for the country. It will also create huge employment opportunities for talented Indian youth.”

Mr Sripathy said “This facility signals the beginning of our plans to create a one-stop aviation support cluster of international standards in Hyderabad. We have two SEZs of 250 acres each, and our plan is to bring here in India, all aviation and avionics related activities which are currently outsourced overseas,” he added.

Mr Chevrin said, “The new training centre, will mirror CFM facilities currently operating in France, the US, and China, and would initially provide advanced courses in line maintenance and inspection of CFM56-5B and CFM56-7B engines, which power the majority of Airbus A320 family aircraft and all Boeing 737s. Once the facility is fully operational, it will be capable of training up to 500 engineers each year.”

“In 2007, we made a commitment to our Indian airline customers to build a new maintenance training school in the country to help support the growing aviation industry,” said Mr Eric Bachelet, President and CEO of CFM. “We are pleased to take this very important step in fulfilling that commitment,” he added.

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