AINonline
• Matt Thurber
Safran’s Arriel 2K turboshaft has received EASA certification for Leonardo’s AW09 helicopter, following more than 600 hours of flight testing since its first flight in March 2023. The approval advances the engine-airframe combination toward operational deployment and removes a key certification milestone for the single-engine rotorcraft.
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Safran’s Arriel 2K turboshaft has received EASA certification for Leonardo’s AW09 helicopter, following more than 600 hours of flight testing since its first flight in March 2023. The approval advances the engine-airframe combination toward operational deployment and removes a key certification milestone for the single-engine rotorcraft.
MTU Aero Engines CEO Johannes Bussmann cautioned that differing French and German fighter aircraft requirements could put at risk the company’s engine partnership with Safran, following the collapse of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program.
India plans a major partnership with Safran to develop a next-generation turbofan, framed as a step-change for domestic aerospace sovereignty. Safran will also develop a single next-generation fighter engine and will prioritize French requirements because Franco-German FCAS propulsion funding ends in September.
Safran says it has delivered more than 1,000 LEAP powerplants in the first six months as part of its CFM International role. The French aerospace firm has also increased its full-year forecast for LEAP engine deliveries, projecting a “high teens” percentage rise versus last year.
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At Farnborough, GE said it completed the first hybrid-electric flight above 30,000 feet, underscoring momentum in alternative propulsion demonstrations. Separately, Safran raised full-year targets after stronger first-half profit and spare-parts demand, citing 41% LEAP delivery growth and a sharp ramp in M88 shipments. Jet2 also selected CFM LEAP-1A engines to power an additional 54 A320neo-family aircraft.
High activity
Emirates is introducing the U‑Dream headrest to improve economy-class comfort, including adjustable neck support, and is doing so as a first-to-market “world first” upgrade. The airline has retrofitted 47 Airbus A380s and 53 Boeing 777s in Dubai, and is rolling the solution across its A350/A380/777 fleets with future 777X fit.
Safran and ZeroAvia have agreed to collaborate on hydrogen-electric propulsion technologies, focused on developing fuel-cell propulsion using high-temperature fuel cells. The partnership aims to accelerate commercialization of hydrogen-electric drive systems for multiple aviation applications, with an explicit defense-use track.
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