Air France inaugurates new engine test cell at Paris-CDG

Air France Industries inaugurated its new engine test cell on November 15th, at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport. The outcome of a €43m investment program, the new facility, called ZEPHYR, will serve to test some 300 engines each year, including over 100 Very Big Engines (VBE), delivering an optimized service to clients in terms of processes and costs alike. The test cell will enable Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) to cover the entire maintenance process for engines such as the GE90-94/115 equipping Boeing 777s, and the CFM56 power plants equipping Airbus aircraft in the A320 family, and the A340. The new test cell is also ready to test the GP7200 engines equipping the Airbus A380, and has been designed to adapt to the engines that will equip future generations of aircraft. Environmental issues were a special focus during the construction of the 5,000 m² ZEPHYR facility, which meets all HQE high environmental quality construction standards in terms of thermal, sound and vibratory insulation, ergonomy, and environment, etc.