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China Fully committed to the world’s most dynamic aviation market

Present in all segments of the market, Safran participates in the country’s major aviation programs and supports all Chinese airlines in their daily operations. Every year, over 650 million people in China fly on aircraft equipped by Safran.

+ 100
years of relations with China
+ 20
Safran entities in the country
+ 2,000
people operating in the country

Our activities

Aerospace propulsion

Safran equips a significant amount of the aircraft and helicopters operated in China with engines, nacelles and transmission systems. As a world leader in aerospace propulsion, Safran actively participates in China’s aircraft and helicopter engine programs such as C919 and WZ16.

Equipment

Almost all airlines operating in China are customers of Safran’s aerospace equipment. Our products include landing systems, electrical systems, avionics, engine test cells and aerosystems, etc. Besides aviation, Safran also provides products and equipment for other industrial sectors in China.

Aircraft Interiors

Safran is a key supplier of aircraft interiors to over 20 Chinese airlines, including seats, in-flight entertainment (IFE) and water and waste management systems.

Safran’s presence in China

Over the past 40 years, Safran has been largely present in all aviation segments and sees itself deeply rooted in China: more than 20 sites and over 2,000 people operating in the country, four fully owned or joint venture production factories, three MRO plants, a training center, an R&T joint venture, numerous service company subsidiaries and business support teams delivering prompt local services to customers.

Safran in China

Safran in China : 03 minutes and 41 seconds

Aerospace propulsion

70 %
of narrow-body aircraft in service and on order in Greater China are or will be operated with CFM56® and LEAP® engines.
35 %
of Chinese civil aircraft are equipped with Safran Nacelle’s products.
50 %
of helicopters flying in China are equipped with Safran engines or its licensed products.
LEAP-1B

Aircraft Engines

An aircraft engine manufacturer for 110 years, Safran is largely present in China. With a sales team representative based in China, Safran Aircraft Engines is involved in Chinese airlines and lessors’ CFM56® and LEAP® engine sales campaigns as the parent companies of CFM International (a 50/50 joint company between Safran Aircraft Engine and GE). To support the C919 program’s engine development and integration, more than 20 people from Safran are located in Shanghai on COMAC’s site.

Created in 2005, Safran Aircraft Engines Suzhou is specialized in the machining and assembly of low-pressure modules and parts for the CFM56 and LEAP engines. Founded in 2006, Safran Aircraft Engines Guiyang produces low-pressure turbine blades, seals and vanes for CFM56 and LEAP aircraft engines.

Discover the LEAP 1-C aircraft engine
Turbin rear frame

Created in 1999 in Chengdu, Sichuan Service Aero-engine Maintenance Co. Ltd, (SSAMC, a joint venture between Air China and CFM International) offers a wide range of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services in China for both CFM56 & LEAP series engines. 

Through its training center - Aero Engine Maintenance Training Center (AEMTC), created in 1996 in partnership with CFM International, GE, China Aviation Supplies (CAS), the Civil Aviation Flying University of China (CAFUC) and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), Safran also has trained about 15,000 mechanics from all over Asia in the maintenance and repair of CFM56 and LEAP engines.

LEAP engine accessory drive train

Transmission Systems

As the world's leading supplier of power transmissions for mainline commercial jets with over 100 seats, Safran has operated in China for over 30 years and provides the power transmission systems on the CFM56, LEAP, Trent700, Trent XWB and BR Family engines powering aircraft deployed by Chinese airlines and business jet operators. Safran’s power transmission systems are on board the COMAC C919 single-aisle commercial jet. Safran also provides Chinese helicopter manufacturers with power transmission systems.

Interior view of the nacelle of the A320neo

Nacelles

Located in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Suzhou and Hongkong, Safran Nacelles’ Customer Support teams provide assistance for all nacelles products in service in China. A dedicated team is also located at COMAC engineering center working closely with the customer on C919’s nacelle and thrust reverser. 

In 2022, Safran opened a new nacelle MRO station in Suzhou, offering OEM* guaranteed repairs of nacelles and thrust reversers for the fleets of Airbus A330ceo, A320neo aircraft equipped with CFM International’s** LEAP-1A engines.

Safran Nacelles launched a new integration site in 2023 in the Tianjin Free Trade Zone, right next to the Airbus A320neo FAL (Final Assembly Line). With a surface area of 5,000 m2 and some twenty employees, it will be able to integrate and deliver 90 propulsion units per year from 2024.

To strengthen its global supply chain in the nacelle business, Safran has formed a partnership with HAIC (an AVIC subsidiary) and develops its local supply chain to prepare for the ramp-up of the C919 program.

 

* OEM: Original Equipment Manufacturer.

** CFM International is a 50/50 joint venture between Safran Aircraft Engines and GE.

Arrius 2R (Safran Helicopter Engines)

Helicopter engines

Safran is the leading helicopter engine manufacturer in China with over 600 helicopter engines in operation, 40 years of cooperation with the Chinese industry and facilities in Beijing, Tianjin, Xi’an and Shenzhen. 

Safran engines power western helicopters as well as Chinese AVIC helicopters operating in China. In recent years, Safran has significantly reinforced its MRO support activities and opened a maintenance center in Tianjin in 2013 to support the Arrius, Arriel and Makila engines operated in the region.

Safran has jointly developed and built the WZ16 engine (also known as the Ardiden 3C) with Dongan and HAPRI, both parts of the AECC consortium. Featured on the AVIC AC352 helicopter, the WZ16 is the first civilian aero engine to be entirely certified by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

Discover the Ardiden 3C helicopter engine

Equipment

About 50 %
of China's commercial airplanes use Safran landing gear, wheels and brakes.
40 years
Safran has been providing Chinese customers with engine test equipment and facilities for more than 40 years.
More than 70 %
OF COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT IN SERVICE IN CHINA ARE USING CREW OXYGEN MASKS FROM SAFRAN AEROSYSTEMS.
Main landing gear A350-900 (Safran Landing Systems)

Landing Systems

Safran' wheels and brakes business entered into Chinese market in early 90s.

Founded in 2002, the Safran Landing Systems plant in Suzhou manufactures medium-sized landing gear parts, subassemblies and assemblies. 

In 2016, Safran Landing Systems and China Eastern Airlines created XIESA, a landing gear MRO joint venture designed to offer a high level of local service for the Chinese market. Having received CAAC maintenance license in September 2019, XIESA is able to overhaul landing gears and components (up to 150+ shipsets per year). 

Beijing is also home to the Group’s first support center dedicated to Chinese customers, founded by Safran Landing Systems in 2020, in order to strengthen local support services.

Detail of wiring

Electrical Systems

Safran provides electrical systems to major Chinese aircraft programs such as C919, MA700 and MA600. 

SAIFEI, the joint-venture between Safran Electrical & Power and SAMC-COMAC, was created in 2012 for the development, production and support of the Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems (EWIS) cabling system on the COMAC C919 aircraft.

Safran is also a tier-one supplier for the MA700 main and auxiliary generation power systems, and provides Ram Air Turbine (RAT) to the emergency electrical power system made by AVIC Nanjing Engineering Institute of Aircraft System (NEIAS). 

Safran also supplies the power generation systems to the MA600 aircraft.

SAIFEI
HRG (Hemispherical Resonator Gyroscopes)

Avionics

Safran avionics business operations in China date back to 1980, when Safran transferred the license for the AP155 autopilot to Lanzhou Flight Control Co. (AVIC LANFEI), to equip the Z9 helicopter/Dolphin. Safran also provides electromechanical actuators and Attitude & Heading Reference System (AHRS) to the AC352 – the Chinese version of the EC175.

Additionally, Safran provides cockpit solutions, electrical thrust reverser control systems and FADEC full authority digital engine control units1 to the C919. Safran also equips the ARJ21 with flight deck control systems, control panels and dimming controls, thrust control quadrant systems and horizontal stabilizer trim actuators2. Safran cockpit solutions and windshield and wiper systems are also present on the MA60 and MA700 turboprop regional aircraft programs led by AVIC XAC. To improve their fleet management, most of Chinese airlines use Safran Cassiopée AGS services to analyze their flight data.

1Safran is a tier 2 supplier through Parker Aerospace.

2Via FADEC International, a Safran Electronics & Defense /BAE Systems Joint Venture.

7x7 meters test cell adapted by Cenco International® for LEAP engine test (on the picture : LEAP 1B) – Belgium - Safran Aero Boosters Liers test center – june 2015

Engine test cells

Safran has provided engine test equipment and facilities for several Chinese customers for more than 25 years. With a dedicated local team, Safran offers all kinds of support and maintenance services, from preventive to curative maintenance requirements.

Safran is the biggest supplier in test cells utilities and services in China with customers located in Shanghai, Chengdu, Beijing, Zhuhai and Xiamen. Safran has also built, under contract with AECC CAE, two new development test cells for the first Chinese commercial turbofan engine, the CJ1000, and a turboshaft facility at Dongan in Harbin.

A350 distribution boxes: assembly of electric cores

Aerosystems products and equipment

A majority of civil aircraft (commercial and cargo) flying or produced in China are equipped with Safran Aerosystems products: evacuation slides, life vests and rafts, oxygen systems, and other equipment related to fluid management. The Group’s aerosystems equipment are on board the C919, ARJ21, MA60 and MA700 programs, as well as civil and government helicopters.

With a dedicated team in China and a strong MRO network in Asia, Safran provides reliable aerosystems products and continuous support to all Chinese customers.

Gaia telescope mirror

Optics and navigation for industrial sectors

Safran Electronics & Defense is very active in high performance optics and navigation for industrial sectors through its two subsidiaries Safran Reosc and Safran Colibrys. Safran Reosc has already taken part in several projects in cooperation with public or private partners in China, such as optics for the semiconductor industry. Safran Colibrys provides accelerometers and MEMS sensors for multiple applications, such as seismic monitoring, transport and energy.

Aircraft interiors

More than 200,000
aircraft passenger and crew seats supplied by Safran in service in more than 40 airlines in China.
More than 20
Chinese airlines are equipped with Safran Cabin equipment.
ECOS Cabin

Aircraft seats

Almost all Airbus, Boeing, COMAC and Embraer aircraft are equipped with Safran seats, ranging from Economy, Premium Economy, Business class and First class seats to flight crew seats. With a Safran Seats Support and Services team and a business development team located in China, Safran provides the after-sales support of all Safran Seats products to Chinese customers. Safran also participates actively to Chinese aircraft programs with its pilot and crew seats equipping the C919, and pilot, crew and passenger seats installed on the ARJ21.

ECOS Cabin

Aircraft cabin

Safran is a key supplier of BFE cabin equipment to over 20 Chinese airlines and has leading positions in cabin products, including galleys, front-row monuments, electrical inserts and trolleys. 

Safran is also a tier-one supplier for the COMAC C919 armored cockpit doors, galleys and lavatories.

In 2019, Safran Cabin signed a partnership agreement with Chinese partner XiZi to enhance its presence in China and its expertise with local supply chain and manufacturing resources.

RAVE In-Flight Entertainment System (I.F.E)

Passenger solutions

Safran is a key supplier of in-flight entertainment (IFE) equipment designed for both Airbus and Boeing aircraft models. China Southern is the first operating airline in China with an A350 aircraft equipped with Safran IFE system. 

Safran water and waste management systems are largely installed in China on the Airbus A380, A320CEO/NEO, Boeing 777, 787, 737 Next-Generation, AVIC MA60 and MA700, COMAC ARJ21 and C919.

Talents

Turbine Rear Frame assembly on the module

Build A Career You Can Be Proud Of

In China, Safran offers a wide range of positions across several categories – sales; engineering; research, design & development; production and customer relations – all with the potential for a dynamic future. 

Safran understands that its employees are a vital component to sustainable success – which is why the Group regularly seeks out the “best and brightest” individuals to support its expanding operations both in China and overseas. When you join Safran, the transformation continues: you have the chance to expand technical skills, shape your career, and experience opportunities for professional variety and personal development.

Meeting

Your Career Development Is Our Priority

Working at Safran means working in an exciting, high-tech environment where you can constantly consolidate and enhance your skills and expertise.

We provide support and training to ensure that you succeed in your new position, and that your integration goes as smoothly as possible.The Safran training center in Asia was founded in 2012 in China, and provides training programs to all employees in Asia.

At Safran, you will also find an enriching multi-cultural working environment. 

Additionally, Safran strongly encourages you to capitalize on mobility within the Group, whether between companies, jobs or countries.

Turbine Rear Frame assembly on the module

Supporting Mechanics and Universities

Safran is involved in training programs for engineers, reflecting its ongoing commitment to the development of the Chinese aviation industry. Safran’s Aero Engine Maintenance Training Center (AEMTC) has trained about 15,000  mechanics from all over Asia in the maintenance and repair of CFM56 engines since 1996. 

In 2005, Safran was the first industrial partner to create the Ecole Centrale of Beijing, part of Beihang University. Safran has also teamed up with major French and Chinese aeronautical engineering schools and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to create the Sino-European Institute of Civil Aviation (SIAE) in Tianjin. Safran is one of the founding members of the SPEIT engineering school (partnership between Paris Tech and Shanghai Jiaotong University) in Shanghai, created in 2013.

Find out more about Safran in China

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Geometrical Inspection on turbine Shaft CFM56-7
Geometrical Inspection on turbine Shaft CFM56-7
Geometrical Inspection on turbine Shaft CFM56-7
© Adrien Daste / Safran Established in December 2005, Safran Aircraft…
Chamfering on turbine shaft CFM56-7
Chamfering on turbine shaft CFM56-7
Chamfering on turbine shaft CFM56-7
© Adrien Daste / Safran Established in December 2005, Safran Aircraft…
A350 lock stay assembly
A350 lock stay assembly
A350 lock stay assembly
© Adrien Daste / Safran
Engine maintenance : disassembly
Engine maintenance : disassembly
Engine maintenance : disassembly
© Patrick Wack / CAPA Pictures / Safran SSAMC (Sichuan Services Aero-Engine Maintenance…
Technician performing the assembly of A320 doors thrust reversers.
Technician performing the assembly of A320 doors thrust reversers.
Technician performing the assembly of A320 doors thrust reversers.
© David Peart / CAPA Pictures / Safran SAVI Nacelles in Xian, China, is a joint venture…
Coordinate-measuring machine (CMM)
Coordinate-measuring machine (CMM)
Coordinate-measuring machine (CMM)
© Patrick Wack / CAPA Pictures / Safran Safran Aircraft Engines Guiyang, founded in July…
Technician is at work at the wax injection station
Technician is at work at the wax injection station
Technician is at work at the wax injection station
© Patrick Wack / CAPA Pictures / Safran Safran Aircraft Engines Guiyang, founded in July…
Harness assembly
Harness assembly
Harness assembly
© Adrien Daste / Safran SAIFEI, 51% owned by COMAC and 49% owned by…

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