CFM International India to announce JV partner for its training centre soon
24 Feb 2007
New Delhi: CFM International has begun the process of setting up an Aircraft Engine Training School in India that will provide advanced maintenance courses for the CFM56 engine, that powers Boeing 737s, as well as a majority of the Airbus A320 series aircraft that Indian air carriers have ordered. It says that it is in talks with a few Indian companies to provide the logistics for the joint venture, which it expects to announce soon.
The school will be its fourth in the world, coming after the ones that it has established in the United States, Europe and China. CFM, an engine manufacturer of global repute, says that the Indian school will be along the same lines as the one in China.
While CFM will bring in the hardware instructors and the training material for the school, it expects its local partner to supply the logistics, such as the building and accommodation. According to CFM officials, the company plans to train around 500 Indian students every year. Company officials are confident that this figure is likely to rise, given the explosion in the Indian aviation market.
A direct beneficiary would be state-owned carrier Indian, for example, which so far had sent its engineers to CFM schools in Europe and the US. A local training establishment would allow it to cut down on costs dramatically. CFM hopes to extend its services to trainees from the neighbouring countries eventually.
CFM also expects the school to open by mid-2008.
A CFM56 engine logs an average operational flying time of roughly 3,000 hours every year. It can be serviced without removal for up to a record of 36,000 hours. More than 13,000 CFM56 engines are in service around the world.
