Safran Aircraft Engine Services Brussels, a subsidiary of Safran Aircraft Engines, has inaugurated a new MRO workshop for LEAP engines in the Brussels airport zone.
Safran Aircraft Engines has invested €24 million (US$26 million) in the construction of the 8,500 m² workshop, which will enhance its global MRO network and support the ramp-up of LEAP services activities. The majority of new-generation A320neo and B737 MAX aircraft are powered by LEAP-1A and LEAP-1B engines. This new site enhances Safran Aircraft Engine Services Brussels’ existing capability, established within the Brussels Airport Company ecosystem almost 25 years ago.
Safran Aircraft Engine Services Brussels (SAESB) was the first workshop to be certified for maintenance of the LEAP-1A model in 2016. Now, with more than 75 years of MRO experience, the firm has commenced operations in the new facility this year, aiming to ramp up its throughput to 120 shop visits annually. The new shop is also designed to the highest environmental standards and will be carbon-neutral, utilising 100% renewable energy with solar panels on the roof and circular heating systems.
“We’re already working on an extension which will allow us to switch the maintenance of LEAP engine modules to the new workshop by the end of the decade, aiming to reach a capacity of over 1,200 modules per year. This activity is currently handled by our historic facility,” said Nicolas Potier, Vice President Support and Services at Safran Aircraft Engines. “This ramp-up in our engine and modules activities is underpinned by an ambitious plan to recruit more than 220 people, boosting SAESB’s total headcount to 470 by 2027.”
The LEAP engine is a major commercial success, with over 7,500 units in operation, totalling more than 50 million flight hours and an order backlog exceeding 10,600 units. Serving some 150 operators worldwide, the new-generation engine offers 15–20% reductions in fuel burn and CO2 emissions, and significant improvements in noise levels compared with previous-generation models. The LEAP engine was developed by CFM International, a 50/50 joint venture between Safran Aircraft Engines (France) and GE Aerospace (United States). (€1.00 = US$1.08).
