Snecma Services Wins Exclusive Engine Maintenance Contract from Bahrain Air

Farnborough, July 14, 2008 – Snecma Services (SAFRAN Group), today announced an exclusive three-year engine maintenance contract with Bahrain Air, new private low-cost carrier based in Bahrain.

The Time & Material contract covers the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of all CFM56-5A engines operated by Bahrain Air. The two companies also signed an ELOS (Engine Line Operation Support) contract, with CFM56 OEM shop Snecma Services providing services such as engineering and LRU (line replaceable unit) support.

“We are very pleased to kick off this collaboration with Snecma Services, and we are confident in their ability to meet our expectations,” said Moeen Al Bastaki, Vice President for Engineering of Bahrain Air. “With the airline planning to expand rapidly, we were looking for a partner that could contribute in preventive maintenance, through engineering support services. Not only is this contract highly competitive, it is also synonymous with operational reliability, flexible LRU management and the top-flight OEM quality delivered by Snecma Services’ teams.”

"We are very proud to have won this maintenance and ELOS contract, which clearly reflects Bahrain Air's confidence in our services," said Roupen Karakachian, Vice President for Sales & Marketing at Snecma Services. "Through this contract the airline will enjoy a comprehensive package of optimized support services for lower overall maintenance costs."

Bahrain Air, founded in 2007, deploys a fleet of Airbus A320s to provide service to countries in the Gulf and the Middle East in general, as well as to India. A low-cost carrier, it is expecting a rapid growth in its business, including 20 new destinations in 2009.

Snecma Services (SAFRAN Group) provides a full range of aero-engine support services to operators worldwide (airlines, armed forces, lessors, VIP transport, etc.) including: engine MRO, parts repair, engineering support (fleet management, remote diagnostics), LRU support, engine maintenance on site (EMOS), technical assistance, tools, technical documentation, test cell calibration, engine leasing, flight test support, customer support, mechanics training and more. Snecma Services operates three sites in France (Montereau, Saint-Quentin and Châtellerault) and has a Belgian subsidiary, Snecma Services Brussels. The company has also created a number of joint ventures with major airlines and manufacturers. Visit Snecma Services online at www.snecma-services.com.