Snecma Morocco Engine Services (SMES) certified for testing of CFM56-5B engines

Casablanca: SMES, a subsidiary of Snecma (Safran) and Royal Air Maroc, received certification in mid-July from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), authorizing use of its test stand for CFM56-5B engines. These engines power the Airbus A320 aircraft family. A first engine equipping an aircraft operated by Aeroflot successfully completed testing on July 15.

Until present, CFM56-5B repaired by SMES in Casablanca were subsequently tested at the Snecma test stand in Villaroche, near Paris. In early 2012, when facilities for CFM56-5B engine repairs were first deployed in Casablanca, SMES began to adapt its existing test stand, which was previously used for CFM56-7B and CFM56 -3. These adjustments enable the stand to accommodate 5B engines, reducing Turn Around Time (TAT) to roughly seven days in order to meet growing customer demand.

SMES plans to test a dozen CFM56-5B engines on the newly certified test stand in 2013.