Techspace Aero, a SAFRAN group company, is a partner to Pratt & Whitney in the GP7200 engine which will power the A380. It has a 7.5% stake in the engine, with responsibility for the design, development, production and assembly of the low-pressure compressor, also known as the booster. The GP7200 is being produced by the Engine Alliance, a joint venture of General Electric and Pratt & Whitney. A model of the booster module in on display at the Techspace Aero stand (L7, Hall 2B).

SAFRAN’s Belgian subsidiary marshaled its forces to meet the extremely tight deadline for booster design. The development and testing phases are now drawing to a close, and the Engine Alliance is shooting for engine certification by the FAA by October 2005, with a first flight on the A380 in November.

See also: Snecma and the A380: the GP7200 success story