GMR Hyderabad Aviation SEZ signs lease with Safran Aircraft Engines for MRO

GMR Hyderabad Aviation SEZ Limited (GHASL), a GMR Group company has recently signed a Land Lease Agreement with Safran Aircraft Engines Services India Pvt. Ltd , a subsidiary of Safran, to lease land to the Paris-based aerospace company to build and operate the Engine MRO facility for LEAP turbofan engines.

A press release from GMR said spread across 23.5 acres of the land parcel within the SEZ area of GMR Aerospace and Industrial Park here, the facility will occupy around 36,500 sqm of built-up space.

The facility will initially have the capacity to service 100 engines per annum, which will gradually increase, to around 300 engines by 2035. It will also generate ample employment opportunities in the state of Telangana, a GMR official said.

The construction of the facility will commence in September 2023. The facility is expected to be handed over in December 2024. This facility in Hyderabad will be the largest MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) centre in the Safran Aircraft Engines network, it said, adding operations are set to commence in 2025 and will provide employment to about 1,000 workers at its peak operation capacity.

Commenting on this development, Aman Kapoor, CEO GMR Airport Land Development, said, "We are excited to announce that Safran has chosen GMR Industrial Park after a thorough global assessment and has entered a lease agreement to set up one of the largest Engine MROs in the world."

Nicolas Potier, Vice-President- Support & Services of Safran Aircraft Engines, states, "I extend my congratulations to GMR on being selected to provide the location for our new MRO shop in Hyderabad. This MRO project, which is a significant investment in our future in India, will bring additional key capacity to support the operations of our airlines customers and will also contribute to the extension of the aeronautical ecosystem in the Hyderabad International Airport area."

Safran is currently operating two Industrial facilities for Cable Harnessing and Aircraft Engine Component manufacturing within the SEZ area of GMR Aerospace & Industrial Park. In addition, CFM, a JV of Safran with GE, is operating an Engine Maintenance training facility at the park.