Ten Airlines Already Put Their Trust in Safran for Their A320neo Nacelle Repairs

Since the entry into service of the Airbus A320neo, equipped with the CFM International LEAP-1A engines, in July 2016, ten airlines have entrusted Safran Nacelles with the repairs of their nacelles.

Throughout the life of a nacelle, damage to the material can occur from events such as a collision with a ground vehicle. In this exceptional instance, the composite parts of the nacelles require repair solutions to be developed.

60 percent of the A320neo nacelle is made from composite materials. With its wealth of design and manufacturing expertise, Safran Nacelles is the only company worldwide to have the capability to justify and carry out all the complex repairs on the Airbus A320neo nacelles powered by the LEAP-1A engines.

The particularity of the repairs is that they are performed on large - in excess of 3m2- composite panels of complex shapes, with multiple bending radii and various thicknesses, and furthermore, with engine noise insulating honeycomb structures.

These repairs target more specifically the internal panels (Inner fixed structure – IFS), the mobile parts (transcowl) and the front frames of the thrust reverser. Since the entry into service of the A320neo, the repair cycle measured has been an average of 60 days, which is already a shorter lead time compared to the industry standard. So that time of the aircraft on the ground is further minimized, Safran Nacelles also offers its customers a standard product replacement, enabling minimum disruption of the aircraft's operation before completion of its original part repair.