Page 34 - AAA JULY - AUGUST 2013 Online Magazine

FeATure poWerpLAnTs

in Airbus and Boeing aircraft regionally – “Our objective is to have the most
all needing MRO facilities. competitive MRO solutions for our fleet,
“India is one of the most dynamic without any compromise in flight safety,”
economies in the world and the long- said He Li, senior vice president of Air
term potential is virtually limitless,” China. As a consequence, Air China has
says Eric Bachelet, President and CEO set up a JV called Sichuan Services Aero
of CFM International. “At CFM, we are Engines Maintenance Company (SSAMC),
very pleased and proud to be a part of the a 60/40 venture between the airline and
aviation infrastructure here in India and to CFM. Working out of Chengdu, China, the
help support the continued growth of this facility expands Air China’s engineering
industry in the region.” services, which already provides aircraft
CFM now boasts four CFM56 maintenance, repair and overhaul services.
maintenance training centres in India, “The partnership with CFM can
with the most recent being opened in help both stakeholders to continuously
“We’re confident this collaboration will help Hyderabad to support regional customers. increase their competitiveness globally
strengthen our apprenticeship programme The facilities duplicate the capability of with their advantages, and to provide the
and increase our presence as a leading the training centres in the US, China, and best service for Chinese and worldwide
MRO provider in China by attracting top France and provide hands-on training for customers,” adds Li.
talent from throughout the region.” CFM56-5B and CFM56-7B engines. “This new venture is a perfect example
Designed to offer major engine Each one has the capacity to train 500 of the type of win-win solutions that airlines
manufacturer know-how at a local level, students annually, and with more engines and OEMs can implement together,” says
the SEC means China-based aircraft do on order from the likes of Air India, Air CFM’s Bachelet. “The combination of Air
not have to fly a significant distance in India Express, Go Air, and SpiceJet, as China’s extensive expertise with that of
order to undergo major MRO attention. well as airlines in Bangladesh, Bhutan, CFM will enable SSAMC to develop and
Eller describes SEC as a “state-of- and Sri Lanka, there is likely to be grow to the best level of performance, in
the art facility with extensive part repair significant demand for the extra capacity. terms of quality, turnaround time, EGT
capacity that helps reduce engine overhaul Additionally, CFM produces engine shop margin, and cost.”
costs and turnaround times.” The joint and maintenance manuals in Bangalore,
venture has now been operating for three making use of the rich seam of IT The future?
years, in a purpose-built 23,000-square- publishing expertise on offer there. With physical facilities, expanded training
metre facility. As Pratt & Whitney’s first schemes, and plenty of successful JVs
engine centre in China, the Qingpu District- Expansion station to call on, it looks like Asia will only get
based facility provides engine maintenance, According to IATA figures, Chinese airline bigger and better in the MRO space.
repair and overhaul services to customers operators made US$22 billion last year, Reduced out-of-service times, lower to-
worldwide, not just on a local basis, for up and they project that 877 million additional service distances and significantly reduced
to 300 engines annually. passengers will be travelling by 2015, labour costs are all making Asia look
In India, CFM (a joint Safran/General in over 3,000 new aircraft. That’s a lot of better to a wide range of operators with
Electric company) International’s MRO business waiting to be grabbed. One an eye on the bottom line. With innovative
presence has seen parallel growth with operator eyeing up this rapidly burgeoning plans like Rolls-Royce’s TotalCare® and
the rise of the LCCs in the sub-continent. market is Air China, with over 300 aircraft Pratt & Whitney’s ESP Programme, which
The company says there are more than of its own plus plenty of other aircraft take away the responsibility for service
500 CFM56 engines in service or on order owners to service. schedules from the operators, the need
for engine MRO expertise locally to Asia
can only grow. In fact, services accounted
NEw wAy AHEAD – MAyBE for more than 50% of Rolls-Royce civil
In a recent signing with Singapore Airlines (SIA), Rolls-Royce has agreed to aerospace revenue in 2012 – not the sale
“develop and integrate existing Rolls-Royce capabilities to … establish an of power plants.
integrated and embedded service provision for Singapore Airlines and the wider It’s a good time to be in the MRO
region.” Does this mean that Rolls-Royce and SIA will be sharing facilities to business, in Asia.
outsource their considerable joint expertise to third-party aircraft operators?
Maybe. At press time, no comment was available from either SIA or Rolls-
Royce, other than the fact that “the agreement will see Singapore become a
centre for Trent 900 delivery and service support, and in the future, a centre for ABOVE LEFT: Eric Bachelet,
Trent 1000 delivery and service support.” President and CEO of
CfM International
34 ASIAN AIRLINES & AIRPORTS JULY / AUGUST 2013 WWW.ASIANAIRLINES-AIRPORTS.COM