CFM International today formally opened a new CFM56 training center in Hyderabad, India, satisfying a commitment made to its customers in 2007. The Hyderabad complex–the fourth such engine maintenance training center for CFM56 customers worldwide–holds the capacity to train 500 engineers annually and mirrors facilities in China, France, and the U.S.

More than 500 CFM56 engines power Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. CFM has scheduled the first students to start training next week.

Over the next decade CFM expects to invest $15 million in the new center, including initial start-up costs. 

“We felt that Hyderabad in general, and the Rajiv Gandhi Airport in particular, was the logical location for this new facility,” said Eric Bachelet, president and CEO of CFM International.  “The area is rapidly establishing itself as a regional leader for excellence in aviation, and we are proud to be part of it. This CFM facility will provide extensive maintenance training that we believe is simply unequalled in the region.”

The Hyderabad training center will provide hands-on courses in line maintenance and borescope inspection for CFM56-7B and CFM56-5B engines, which power Boeing Next-Generation 737 and Airbus A320 families of aircraft, respectively. CFM expects the facility to cater to students from not only South Asia, but also the Persian Gulf states and the greater Middle East and Far Eastern countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines.