en.Wedoany.com Reported - Safran Aircraft Engines has inaugurated a new MRO facility in Querétaro, Mexico, to expand the aftermarket network for CFM International's Leap engines.

Located in Querétaro, in north-central Mexico, approximately 130 miles northwest of Mexico City, the facility will serve as a maintenance center for Leap engines in the Central American region. The Leap 1A powers the Airbus A320neo, while the Leap 1B powers the Boeing 737 Max.

Safran has invested approximately $140 million in this facility, which covers an area of 50,000 square meters. The facility houses two MRO workshops, one for Leap engines and one for CFM56 engines, which Safran has been maintaining in Mexico for several years. Additionally, the facility is equipped with a test cell capable of performing up to 350 engine tests per year by 2030, with further growth expected in subsequent years.

By 2030, the OEM expects the two maintenance facilities to handle up to 350 Leap engine shop visits annually. The inauguration of the Mexico facility is part of Safran's broader investment strategy of over €1 billion (approximately $1.1 billion) in the Leap aftermarket network.

Over the past few years, Safran has opened maintenance workshops in Hyderabad, India; Casablanca, Morocco; and Brussels, Belgium, to expand the global Leap MRO network ahead of the CFM56 engine inflection point in 2030. According to Aviation Week's Fleet & MRO Forecast, MRO spending on Leap engines will reach $268.8 billion between 2026 and 2035.

Once fully operational, the new workshop will employ over 450 people. Currently, Safran Aircraft Engine Services Americas has 1,450 employees and plans to increase that number to nearly 2,000 by 2030. The company also plans to collaborate with local educational institutions to train 300 inspectors and technicians annually.

Stéphane Cueille, CEO of Safran Aircraft Engines, stated that the inauguration of the new facility strengthens the core role of the Querétaro hub in Safran Aircraft Engines' Americas maintenance ecosystem. Through continued investments in Mexico and globally, Safran will meet the growing global demand for Leap engine maintenance while continuing to support customers in the region.