Turbomeca plans to select a new Asia-Pacific helicopter turboshaft engine maintenance, repair and overhaul centre by the end of the month.
Turbomeca, part of the Snecma Group, currently overhauls engines for Asian operators in Sydney, Australia, or ships them to its workshop in southwest France.
Snecma vice-president for international development, Philippe Humbert, says an intermediate location is required to improve customer support. There are several hundred Turbomeca-powered helicopters in the region.
Singapore is thought to be a favourite location, although the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur and the Chinese cities of Beijing and Chengdu are also under consideration. Snecma already has a repair facility for aero engines in Chengdu.
Meanwhile, Snecma has established a new company in Singapore to co-ordinate the operations of several subsidiaries in the country and to spearhead Asian expansion.
Source: Flight International
