The aftermarket network for the CFM International Leap engine has further expanded following the opening of a new MRO facility in Mexico by program partner Safran Aircraft Engines.
Located in Queretaro in north-central Mexico, around 130 miles northwest of Mexico City, the new facility will serve as a Leap engine repair hub for the Central America region. The Leap 1A powers the Airbus A320neo, while the Leap 1B powers the Boeing 737 Max.
Safran, a partner in the Leap joint venture with GE Aerospace, has invested around $140 million in the facility, which covers 50,000 square meters. The facility includes two MRO shops for Leap and CFM56 engines, which Safran has repaired in Mexico for several years. In addition, the facility includes a test cell capable of conducting 350 engine tests annually by 2030, with further growth projected in the coming years.
By 2030, the OEM projects that the two maintenance facilities will be able to handle up to 350 Leap engine shop visits annually. The opening of the Mexico location constitutes part of a broader investment strategy of more than €1 billion ($1.1 billion) in Safran’s Leap aftermarket network.
In the past few years, Safran has opened shops in Hyderabad, India; Casablanca, Morocco; and Brussels, Belgium, as it looks to ramp up the global Leap MRO network ahead of an inflection point for CFM56 engines by 2030. Aviation Week’s Fleet & MRO Forecast data projects MRO spend of $268.8 billion for the Leap between 2026 and 2035.
At full capacity, the new shop will employ more than 450 people. In total, Safran Aircraft Engine Services Americas has a headcount of 1,450 and plans to grow it to nearly 2,000 by 2030. The company plans to train 300 inspectors and technicians annually in partnership with local educational institutions.
“As we inaugurate this new facility, we are strengthening our Queretaro hub’s role at the heart of Safran Aircraft Engines’ maintenance ecosystem in the Americas,” said Stéphane Cueille, CEO of Safran Aircraft Engines. “With ongoing investment in Mexico and around the world, we will address the growing global demand for Leap engine maintenance while continuing to deliver world-class support to our customers in the region.”
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