Recently, in a major development, GMR Hyderabad Aviation SEZ Limited (GHASL) has signed a Land Lease Agreement with Safran Aircraft Engines Services India Pvt Ltd (a subsidiary of Safran) to lease land to the company. Safran, the Paris-based aerospace company, will build and operate the Engine MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) facility for LEAP turbofan engines.
Spread across 23.5 acres of land, the facility will occupy around 36,500 sqm of built-up space, said a press release from GMR. It will be within the SEZ area of GMR Aerospace and Industrial Park in Hyderabad.
Initially, the facility will have capacity to service 100 engines per year. This will gradually increase to around 300 engines by 2035. In the state of Telangana, it will also generate ample employment opportunities, a GMR official said, reported news agency PTI.
In September 2023, the construction of the facility will begin. In December 2024, the facility is expected to be handed over. This facility in Hyderabad will be the largest MRO centre in the Safran Aircraft Engines network, it said.
“Operations are set to commence in 2025 and will provide employment to about 1,000 workers at its peak operation capacity,” the press release further informed.
“We are excited to announce that Safran has chosen GMR Industrial Park after a thorough global assessment and has entered a lease agreement to set up one of the largest Engine MROs in the world,” said Aman Kapoor, CEO of GMR Airport Land Development.
Currently, within the SEZ area of GMR Aerospace and Industrial Park, Safran is operating two industrial facilities – Cable Harnessing and Aircraft Engine Component manufacturing.