HAL inks long-term pact for LEAP engine components with Safran Aircraft

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Wednesday announced that it has signed a long-term contract with aircraft engine manufacturer Safran Aircraft Engines (SAE) for the supply of turbine forged parts for their Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion (LEAP) engines at Aero India 2025 here.

An MoU was signed between the two companies in October 2023 to develop industrial cooperation in commercial engine parts manufacturing as part of the Indian government's "Make in India" policy.

This contract marks the first agreement under this industrial cooperation.

Under the terms of the contract, HAL will manufacture forged parts for LEAP engines at its state-of-the-art Ring Rolling facility at the Foundry & Forge Division in Bengalurusupporting the LEAP program's ramp-up to meet global airline demandthe company said in a release.

"Safran and HAL have shared a longstanding relationship, strengthened over the past few decades through the joint development of the Shakti helicopter engine, which also paved the way for the co-design and co-development of the Indian Multi-Role Helicopter (IMRH) engine," said Dr D K Sunil, Chairman & Managing Director of HAL.

"We are delighted to elevate this collaboration further and support their LEAP engine production with critical nickel ring forgings," he added.

"We are very enthusiastic about continuing this partnership with HAL," said Dominique Dupuy, Safran Aircraft Engines' Vice President of Purchasing.

"This aligns perfectly with the objectives set in our 2023 agreement for the production of forged parts," he added.