GKN Aerospace has signed a decade-long agreement with Safran to expand its support for the LEAP engines.
The contract covers the production of new shafts and spare parts for the LEAP-1A variant for the Airbus A320neo aircraft. Similar components are expected to be produced for the LEAP-1B variant for the Boeing 737-MAX aircraft in the future.
The first shafts are expected to be delivered from GKN Norway to Paris in the second half of 2024.
The decade-long agreement builds on a close working relationship between GKN and Safran that has existed for more than 35 years on the CFM56 and GE90 engines, as well as the next-generation RISE technology programme.
“The LEAP is at the forefront of the industry, and we are proud to increase our presence on the engine today while continuing to explore new technology development for the next-generation RISE engine,” said Alexander Andersson, Senior Vice President of GKN Aerospace’s Engines business.
Dominique Dupuy, Senior Vice President of Purchasing for Safran Aircraft Engines, added, “We are satisfied with our partnership with GKN, which began several decades ago and continues with the manufacture of rotating parts for the LEAP programmes.”
More than 5,000 LEAP engines are currently in service, with a backlog of more than 10,000 engines on order.
