Delivering on a commitment made to its customers in 2007, CFM International (CFM) – the 50/50 joint venture between France’s Snecma (Safran Group) and US-based General Electric Company – has opened the new CFM56 Training Center in India.

The Hyderabad facility, the fourth such engine maintenance training center for CFM56 customers worldwide, has the capacity to train 500 engineers annually and mirrors those in China, France, and the US, the company said in a statement.

There are currently more than 500 CFM56 engines in service in India and South Asia, including Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka, which power Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft. The first students are scheduled to begintraining the week of 8 March 2010.

This new state-of-the-art training centre, which will be fully certified by the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), will represent an investment of approximately US$15 million by CFM over the next decade, including initial start-up costs.

“It gives me great pleasure to open this new CFM56 training center on behalf of CFM,” said Eric Bachelet, president and CEO of CFM International. “We feltthat Hyderabad in general, and the Rajiv Gandhi Airport in particular, was thelogical location for this new facility.

“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 training centre will provide advanced 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 aircraft, respectively. In addition to Indian operators, the facility will also provide training to students from other neighbouring regions including: the Gulf states, the wider Middle East, and Far East countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines.