Safran and HAL strengthen their cooperation to produce LEAP engines forged parts
Le Bourget, June 19. At the 55th edition of the Paris Air Show, Safran Aircraft Engines, the world’s leading French engine manufacturer in the design, development and production of aircraft engines, signed an agreement with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), India’s leading aerospace and defense company, for the industrialization and production of rotating parts for LEAP engines.
This agreement supports the government’s “Make in India” policy and follows the memorandum of understanding signed by Safran Aircraft Engines and HAL in October 2023 to develop industrial cooperation in LEAP engine parts manufacturing, as well as the contract signed last February by both partners to produce forged parts. Safran Aircraft Engines is thus continuing to expand its footprint in India and is extending the scope of its cooperation with HAL through the production of Inconel parts.
The objective is to support the strong growth of the Indian aerospace market and ensure the ramp-up of LEAP engines powering single-aisle civil aircraft. To this end, Safran Aircraft Engines is developing a complete aerospace ecosystem based on the creation of new facilities in India and closer cooperation with its major Indian partners such as HAL.
“We are really proud to expand this long-standing partnership with Safran and to develop our industrial expertise in forging processes for Inconel parts for the LEAP program”, said Dr. D K Sunil, Chairman and Managing Director of HAL.
“We are pleased to extend our collaboration with HAL, a key player of the Indian aerospace industry,” said Dominique Dupuy, Safran Aircraft Engines’ Purchasing VP. “This industrial cooperation is part of our roadmap to diversify our production sourcing and strengthen our industrial footprint in India, so as to support the growth of domestic air traffic with our LEAP engine and prepare for future requirements of the M88 engine powering the Rafale.”
Safran Aircraft Engines is thus boosting its capabilities and presence in India, where it already operates five production sites in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Goa. A sixth site dedicated to maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) of LEAP engines will open in Hyderabad by the end of the year. In 2022, Safran and HAL also set up the Safran HAL Aircraft Engines joint venture in Bengaluru, specializing in manufacturing components for the LEAP engine as well as the M88 engine.
India is CFM’s third largest market in terms of the number of engines in service, with 75% of the Indian commercial fleet equipped with CFM engines. Today, of the 500 aircraft operated by 7 Indian airlines with CFM engines, over 370 are LEAP-powered, and over 2,000 engines on order are for Indian airlines. In addition, Safran Aircraft Engines plans to develop its military collaboration with India on the M88 engine.
