Boeing and Safran have named their newly formed APU joint venture Initium Aerospace.
The airframer's aftermarket division Boeing Global Services and Safran in June 2018 disclosed their partnership to provide customers with "more competitive" auxiliary power units. Regulatory approval for the joint venture was received in November.
Initial operations, focused on APU design, have since begun in San Diego, California.
Boeing Global Services chief executive Stan Deal asserts that the two shareholders will "bring together the best of both companies to design and build an advanced APU that will create more lifecycle value for our customers".
The airframer's investment in the project is part of a strategy to strengthen "vertical capabilities" and grow its aftermarket services business, he adds
Safran chief executive Philippe Petitcolin, meanwhile, states that the French group is "proud and totally invested in supporting Boeing's growth [strategy]".
Initium has a Latin root and means "the beginning" or "to start". The name therefore alludes to an APU's purpose, which is to start the aircraft's engines, Initium's shareholders note.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
