The nacelles repair division of Safran plans to open a new repair facility in Suzhou, China, that will begin operating in the second quarter.

Safran announced at the Singapore Airshow on Feb. 15 that the 56,000-ft.² maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) shop will be located at its existing complex in Suzhou’s free economic zone located 1 hr. west of Shanghai.

Once operational, it will have capabilities for several services, including the repair of nacelles and line-replaceable units as part of its NacelleLife service offering. The facility will operate under both Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certifications and specifically repair CFM Leap 1A engine nacelles for Airbus A320neo.

Eventually, these services will be expanded to Chinese-manufactured Comac C919s, which are powered by the Leap 1C engine variant.

These services can be carried out at both the entry-into-service and withdrawal-of-service phases of an aircraft, Safran says. It will also store large nacelle components such as air inlets, thrust reversers and exhausts at the site.

The OEM says the facility will simplify the material import and export processes for customers in the Asia-Pacific region while also complementing its existing MRO network in China and in the wider region.

“Our customers operating in the region will be able to benefit from timely, local support and services whilst reducing transport costs,” says Alain Berger, Safran Nacelles’ vice president of customer support and services.