French engine manufacturer Snecma is adamant that a move by its US rival Pratt & Whitney to offer PMA components for the CFM56 through new venture Global Material Solutions will not damage its lucrative aftermarket business. Speaking at the presentation of parent company Safran’s annual results in Paris last week, chief executive Jean-Paul Béchat dismissed the potential threat to the CFM56-3 engine that Snecma and General Electric produce through a joint venture. He believes the move is a reaction to “significant failures in the civil market for the US manufacturer [P&W]”.
Béchat concedes that an established player like P&W is more of a threat than the “long list of industrial groups who try to copy [simple parts for Safran products]”. He says the threats are already factored into Safran’s business plan.
Source: Flight International
