GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd. (GHIAL), has signed an agreement with CFM International to establish a new CFM56 maintenance training center to support its customers in the South Asian region. GMR Group is a Bangalore-based global infrastructure conglomerate with interests in airports, energy, highways and urban infrastructure. 

“GHIAL will build and lease an area of about 8,700 square feet on an acre of land within the [GMR] Aerospace Park to CFM,” GHIAL CEO P. Sripathy told AIN. “The Aerospace Park has been notified as a Special Economic Zone [SEZ], and hence, the maintenance training center will be able to avail [itself of] applicable tax and other benefits.”

The land holds capacity for future expansion of the center, scheduled to start operations in January. “The new training center will mirror CFM facilities currently operating in France, the United States and China,” said CFM International vice president for India, Paul-Andre Chevrin. “They would initially provide advanced courses in line maintenance and inspection of CFM56-5B and CFM56-7B engines, which power the majority of Airbus A320 family aircraft and all Boeing 737s. Once the facility is fully operational, it will be capable of training up to 500 engineers each year.”

“Currently GHIAL is only building and leasing the facility to CFM International,” added Sripathy. “Once the maintenance training center becomes operational during March 2010, we will certainly explore other opportunities with CFM within the SEZ.”