Responding to relentlessly strong demand, Safran Helicopter Engines is seeking to ramp up deliveries of its turboshafts to just above 1,000 units next year. In a briefing with reporters ahead of Heli-Expo 2024, the French company’s CEO, Cédric Goubet, acknowledged this will be a tall order since output was just more than 600 engines last year and it is targeting 900 for 2024.

At the same time, Safran has begun work on a new turboshaft that could eventually replace its Arriel for single-engine helicopters. Goubet said this project is at a very early stage, with engineers still defining what level of technology will be required.

“It’s a versatile project and we can decide when we have reached the right level of maturity in terms of technology and also manufacturability,” he explained. However, Goubet has not confirmed a specific timeline for the program to advance or which airframers have requested this initiative.

As it prepares to deliver around 10,000 helicopter engines over the next decade, Safran is also stepping up its product support capacity. According to Goubet, by next year the support network needs to have the capacity to repair 1,500 engines annually, which would represent a 50 percent increase. Taking account of engines retired from service, Safran expects to have 25,000 helicopter engines in operation by 2033.

As of year-end 2023, Safran’s helicopter engines had logged a combined 150 million flight hours. This tally includes 65 million hours with the Arriel family and 10 million with the Arrius 2 line.

Increasing support capacity will prove challenging as, like so many aerospace manufacturers, Safran continues to face significant supply chain constraints. “We have recovery plans in place with our supplies, but the tension will remain high on the supply chain due to high demand,” said Goubet.

Safran’s response has been to focus on help for suppliers “who are not aware enough or advanced enough” to respond to the shortfalls in the output of parts and components. The company has also found that shortages of some raw materials are compounding the problems.