CFM International to set up Maintenance Training Center in GMR’s Aviation SEZ at Hyderabad

GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd., (GHIAL), has signed an agreement with the world’s leading aircraft engine manufacturer, CFM International (CFM), to establish a new CFM56 maintenance training center 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 United States.

This training center, which will commence operations by late January 2010, 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 government of India. GHIAL will build the facility and lease it to CFM.

The agreement, which cements a Memorandum of Agreement executed in January 2009, was signed here last night in the presence of the French Minister for Foreign Trade, H.E. Ms. Anne-Marie Idrac, by Mr. P. Sripathy, CEO of GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited and Mr. Paul-Andre Chevrin, CFM International Vice President for India.

Also present on the occasion were members of the visiting French Trade delegation, comprising their Members of Parliament, Mr. Nicolas Forissier, Mr. Andre Ferrand and Mr. Jérôme Bonnafont, the French Ambassador to India, amongst others.

Mr. G.M.Rao, Group Chairman, GMR Group, commenting on the occasion said,“CFM International is the world’s leading aircraft engine manufacturer, and by setting up it’s maintenance training center in Hyderabad, will benefit the Indian commercial aviation industry in a big way. This center 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.”

"This is a significant milestone in our plans to develop the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport as a preferred hub for Maintenance, Repair and Overhauling (MRO) facility in South Asia," said Mr. P. Sripathy, CEO of GHIAL.

“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,” Mr.Sripathy added.

Mr. Paul-Andre Chevrin, CFM International Vice President for India said, “The new training center, will mirror CFM facilities currently operating in France, the United States, 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, and are looking forward to developing a long and fruitful relationship with GMR,” he added.

The new training center in Hyderabad is ideally located for attracting a talented pool of airline mechanics and engineers from India and the rest of South Asia.

About CFM International :
CFM International is a 50:50 joint company between Snecma (SAFRAN Group) and General Electric Company. To date, more than 20,000 CFM56 engines have been delivered to more than 500 operators around the globe.

About GHIAL:
GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd.(GHIAL), is a joint venture company promoted by GMR Infrastructure Ltd., (63%); Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (11%), Airports Authority of India (13%) and Government of Andhra Pradesh (13%), with a mandate to develop the world-class Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. Spread over 5,495 acres in Shamshabad, about 25 kms from the main city of Hyderabad, the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport Complex plans to position Hyderabad as an important aviation hub in the coming years.