Boeing and Safran have named their 50-50 joint venture to design, build, and service auxiliary power units (APUs) Initium Aerospace.
From its Latin roots, initium means “the beginning” or “to start.” This is what an APU is and does when it provides the power to start the main aircraft engines and systems on the ground and, if necessary, in flight. Initium Aerospace starts with Boeing’s customer and airplane knowledge and Safran’s experience designing and producing complex propulsion systems.
“This is an exciting milestone as we bring together the best of both companies to design and build an advanced APU that will create more life cycle value for our customers,” said Stan Deal, president and CEO, Boeing Global Services.
The creation of Initium Aerospace follows the regulatory and antitrust approvals the joint venture received last November, after an agreement was reached in June.
Philippe Petitcolin, CEO of Safran, said “Safran is proud and totally invested in supporting Boeing’s growth and operators’ expectations. We look forward to presenting the first demonstrator engine to the market.”
The initial team consists of employees from the two parent companies and is led by Etienne Boisseau, CEO of Initium Aerospace. Initial work is being done in San Diego, California, where they are focused on the next-generation APU design as well as collaborating with teams across Boeing and Safran on engineering and production.
In February 2018, Safran took control of Zodiac Aerospace, significantly expanding its aircraft equipment activities.