As part of a long-term strategy to service new-generation aircraft engines, Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) has inaugurated its new engine shop at Paris Orly Airport.
The facility has a volume of 45,200 ft.2 and will service new-generation engine types including the CFM LEAP for Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX aircraft; Rolls-Royce’s Trent XWB for the A350; and the Pratt & Whitney PW1500G, powering A220 aircraft.
As part of the company’s "Single Roof" project—announced in 2019—construction of the new engine facility started in 2021 and will link the new engine shop with its existing shop located next door at Orly. Other pillars of AFI KLM E&M’s project include a full overhaul of operational processes aimed at boosting engine maintenance turnaround times with input into these processes by staff.
The project is scheduled for completion in January 2024 when AFI KLM E&M’s existing Orly shop—known as Building 34 (Henri Farman)—completes its reorganization process. The MRO provider predicts the entire project will see engine processing times reduced by 15%, as well as a reduction in its overall carbon footprint.
Géry Mortreux, executive vice president for Air France Industries, says the project signals AFI KLM E&M’s desire to push forward its engine maintenance operations into the future and toward new-generation platforms.
“It also constitutes a promise of efficiency and comfort for our teams, thanks to optimized working spaces designed with their users in mind,” he says. “It also manifests AFI KLM E&M’s long-term involvement in the local area, combined with the desire to boost employment and develop the talents of the future.”
In addition to the Orly shop, AFI KLM E&M also operates engine maintenance facilities at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.
