From our people in Asia

“One of Safran’s first notable appearances in Japan was in 1961, when Safran Helicopter Engines (then Turbomeca) was chosen to power the Japanese government’s SA3130 Alouette II fleet. On the civil aviation side, Safran Seats has maintained its leadership with deliveries for All Nippon Airways (ANA) since 1977, while also being a supplier to rival carrier Japan Airlines (JAL). Our ability to understand the needs of Japanese airlines, especially in customizing complex business seats, and the care we take with customer relations sets us apart from the competition. In 2023, Safran still faces many challenges in Japan: maintain production quality with our local suppliers of key parts for LEAP engines, secure our leadership in the aircraft interiors market (IFE, seats, cabins) with ANA and JAL, and roll out our by-the-hour maintenance solutions to helicopter operators. In the current geopolitical context in the Indo-Pacific region, with Japan planning to double its defense spending, we’re targeting the Japanese defense market, which since 1945 has always tended to turn to American solutions. We’re ready to demonstrate our expertise in this field!”

“Since July 2022 I’ve been representing Safran at COMAC, with whom we’ve been working for several decades — first on the ARJ21 regional jet, for which we supply several key pieces of equipment, and now on the C919 narrowbody airliner, certified in September. We’re keen to maintain this great relationship of trust with the Chinese planemaker and consolidate our position as partner. COMAC recognizes the quality of our products and services. And they value the opportunity to benefit from our know-how, which we share while protecting our intellectual property. The big challenge now is service entry of the C919, which is expected to start revenue service in mid-2023. With the production ramp-up and maintenance arrangements, we have a bright future ahead with COMAC!”

“As Safran’s first avionics center of excellence in the Asia-Pacific, we provide MRO services covering more than 2,000 components for Airbus, Boeing and various regional jets. Responding to post-Covid demand, we’ve expanded our repair capabilities with two major transfers of activity in 2022. The first is for Safran Electronics & Defense cockpit solutions and actuator products; the second is for the Safran Landing Systems tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and brake temperature monitoring system (BTMS). In the near future, we plan to bring in new MRO capabilities for the A350 and A320neo ventilation systems, the A320neo braking and steering control units and batteries from French company Saft on the Boeing 777. With these transfers, we can offer customers a wider range of repair services and become the go-to supplier for all their avionics needs.”