MRO & Manufacturing
Hexcel and Wichita State Launch New Aerospace Applications Center
Hexcel and Wichita State University open a new center in Kansas to advance automated composite aerospace manufacturing and materials innovation.
This article is based on an official press release from Hexcel Corporation.
On May 28, 2026, Hexcel Corporation and Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) officially broke ground on the new Hexcel Applications Center. Located at NIAR’s Advanced Technologies Lab for Aerospace Systems (ATLAS) in Wichita, Kansas, the facility is designed to bridge the critical gap between early-stage materials science and practical, large-scale aerospace manufacturing.
According to the official press release, this development establishes a unique “end-to-end” composite manufacturing pathway for aerospace and defense customers. The collaboration links Hexcel’s material innovation operations in Utah with automated processing capabilities in Kansas, culminating in final structural validation in Washington state.
The aviation industry is aggressively shifting toward lightweight materials to reduce aircraft weight, improve fuel efficiency, and meet strict carbon emission standards. As noted in supplementary industry research, this joint venture directly addresses the sector’s pressing need for automated scaling in composite manufacturing, providing a vital testing ground for next-generation aerospace technologies.
The End-to-End Composite Pathway
The new Hexcel Applications Center completes a comprehensive, three-step national development pipeline designed to help aerospace customers move efficiently from concept to manufacturable solutions.
Bridging the Gap from Lab to Factory
As detailed in the company’s announcement, the development pathway begins with early-stage material science, process development, and non-automated composite activities at Hexcel’s Applications Lab in Salt Lake City, Utah. This foundational work will now feed directly into the new Wichita facility.
At the Hexcel Applications Center at NIAR, customers will gain access to a broad range of automated composite manufacturing equipment and processing expertise. Finally, the structural build and validation activities are supported by Hexcel’s Kent, Washington facility, which specializes in producing and evaluating full-scale composite articles.
“By combining Hexcel’s materials science and application development expertise with NIAR’s world‑class automated processing capabilities, we are creating a powerful ecosystem that accelerates innovation and delivers practical, manufacturable solutions for our customers,” said Tom Gentile, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer & President of Hexcel Corporation, in the press release.
Industry Context and the Automation Bottleneck
To understand the significance of the Hexcel Applications Center, it is essential to look at the broader aerospace composites market, which is currently experiencing a massive boom.
Overcoming Manufacturing Hurdles
According to industry estimates cited in our research, the global aerospace composites market was valued between $30.3 billion and $41.6 billion in 2025. Driven by the demand for lighter, more fuel-efficient aircraft, the market is projected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of roughly 11% to 12%, potentially reaching over $53 billion by 2030 and up to $119 billion by 2035.
However, while carbon fiber-reinforced polymers and other composites are lighter and stronger than traditional aluminum, manufacturing them has historically been highly labor-intensive. The industry is currently pivoting toward Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) and AI-driven manufacturing to speed up production and reduce defects.
The ATLAS facility, launched in 2019, is uniquely positioned to support this pivot. Industry data notes that ATLAS houses a 4×8-meter autoclave,the largest of any university in the world. This allows suppliers to test new materials on industry-scale equipment without making massive capital expenditures.
“The Hexcel Applications Center at NIAR will bring together world‑class expertise, capability, and technology in one collaborative environment,” stated John Tomblin, WSU Executive Vice President of Research and Industry and Defense Programs and NIAR Executive Director. “This collaboration will significantly enhance the resources available to our aerospace and defense customers, enabling them to develop, scale, and validate advanced composite solutions using next generation manufacturing technology.”
Regional Impact and Leadership Ties
Wichita has a century-long history of aviation manufacturing. The groundbreaking of this new center reinforces the city’s modern transition from traditional metal aircraft manufacturing to advanced, automated composite aerospace engineering.
“Wichita has long been a hub for innovation and a leader in global aerospace and defense manufacturing,” said U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran in the company’s release. “The groundbreaking for the new Hexcel Applications Center at Wichita State University is an important milestone that further solidifies Wichita as the Air Capital of the World.”
AirPro News analysis
We note that the strategic placement of this facility in Wichita is deeply intertwined with Hexcel’s current executive leadership. Tom Gentile, who assumed the role of Hexcel’s CEO and President in May 2024 and became Chairman in December 2024, has profound ties to the region. Prior to joining Hexcel, Gentile served as the President and CEO of Wichita-based Spirit AeroSystems. Furthermore, he has served as an Executive-in-Residence and Executive Advisor to the Dean at WSU’s Barton School of Business.
This personal and professional history provides crucial context for why Hexcel is heavily investing in a partnership with Wichita State University. By leveraging existing regional relationships, Hexcel is not only advancing its manufacturing capabilities but also helping to cultivate a highly skilled talent pipeline for the defense and commercial aviation sectors directly from WSU’s student and researcher base.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Hexcel Applications Center?
It is a newly announced collaborative facility between Hexcel Corporation and Wichita State University’s NIAR, focused on advancing composite materials, automated processing, and aerospace manufacturing innovation.
Where is the new center located?
The center is located at NIAR’s Advanced Technologies Lab for Aerospace Systems (ATLAS) in Wichita, Kansas.
Why is automated composite manufacturing important?
As the aerospace industry shifts to lightweight composite materials to save fuel and reduce emissions, traditional labor-intensive manufacturing methods are creating a bottleneck. Automated manufacturing, such as Automated Fiber Placement (AFP), is required to scale production efficiently and meet growing global demand.
Sources
Photo Credit: Hexcel Corporation
MRO & Manufacturing
Safran Opens $140M LEAP Engine MRO Facility in Mexico
Safran Aircraft Engines inaugurated a $140M LEAP engine maintenance facility in Querétaro, targeting 350 shop visits annually by 2030.
Safran Aircraft Engines officially opened a $140 million maintenance facility in Querétaro, Mexico, on July 1, 2026, expanding its capacity to service the rapidly growing global fleet of CFM LEAP engines. The new shop adds significant infrastructure to the manufacturers footprint in the Americas, targeting the high-volume narrowbody market.
The facility is part of a broader €1 billion global investment strategy by the company to scale its Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) network. The CFM LEAP engine powers next-generation narrowbody aircraft, including the Airbus A320neo family and the Boeing 737 MAX, both of which are seeing increased shop visit demand as early-delivery airframes mature.
Scaling LEAP engine maintenance in the Americas
The comprehensive MRO hub in Querétaro spans a total footprint of 50,000 square meters. Safran projects that by 2030, the two maintenance facilities located at the site will be capable of handling 350 LEAP engine shop visits annually. The site also features a new test cell designed to perform 350 engine tests per year by the end of the decade.
In a press release issued to mark the opening, Stéphane Cueille, CEO of Safran Aircraft Engines, stated that the inauguration strengthens the Querétaro hub’s role at the center of the company’s maintenance ecosystem in the Americas.
Workforce growth and training initiatives
The new engine shop will employ 450 people when operating at full capacity. This expansion adds to the existing workforce across the four Safran Aircraft Engine Services Americas facilities in Querétaro, which currently stands at 1,450 employees. Safran projects the total headcount for its Querétaro operations will reach 2,000 by 2030.
To support this rapid workforce expansion, the company established an onsite training center in partnership with local educational institutions. The center is designed to train 300 inspectors and technicians annually, creating a direct pipeline of qualified personnel for the MRO hub.
“With continued investment in Mexico and around the world we will address the growing global demand for LEAP engine maintenance while continuing to deliver world class support to our customers in the region,” Cueille said.
Global MRO network expansion
The Querétaro engine shop inauguration aligns with Safran Aircraft Engines’ €1 billion global investment plan. To support the expanding CFM LEAP engine fleet, the company recently opened similar maintenance facilities in India, Morocco, and Belgium.
The broader Safran Group is also increasing its footprint in Mexico across other divisions. On June 10, 2026, Safran Landing Systems announced an expansion of its global MRO capabilities, which included its separate Querétaro site, to support landing gear maintenance for Boeing 787, Airbus A350, and Airbus A330 aircraft.
AirPro News analysis
The aggressive expansion of Safran’s MRO network underscores the industry-wide pressure to keep next-generation narrowbody fleets operational. As the CFM LEAP engine matures and the installed base on Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX aircraft grows, shop visit demand is accelerating. We view the $140 million investment in Querétaro as a strategic move to localize heavy maintenance near major North and South American operators, reducing turnaround times and logistical bottlenecks. The concurrent focus on local workforce training highlights a critical challenge in the MRO sector: securing the qualified technicians required to meet projected maintenance volumes over the next decade.
Sources: Safran Group
Photo Credit: Safran Group
MRO & Manufacturing
Daher Aircraft Opens MRO Center at Jonzac-Neulles Airport
Daher Aircraft inaugurated a 6,000 sq-meter MRO facility at Jonzac-Neulles Airport on July 3, 2026, replacing its former Merpins site.
Daher Aircraft officially opened a 6,000-square-meter maintenance, overhaul, and logistics center at Jonzac-Neulles Airport (LFCJ) on July 3, 2026, consolidating its regional support operations and gaining direct runway access for on-aircraft services.
The purpose-built facility in France’s Charente-Maritime Department replaces the manufacturer’s previous site in Merpins, located 25 kilometers to the north. According to a press release issued by the company, the relocation ensures continuity for existing service contracts while providing the physical capacity to expand its support network for a diverse fleet of civil and military aircraft.
Expanded capabilities and runway access
The transition to Jonzac-Neulles Airport provides Daher Aircraft with direct access to a 1,370-meter runway. This infrastructure addition allows the company to perform on-aircraft maintenance and technical support that was not feasible at the landlocked Merpins location.
The center offers a broad portfolio of services, operating both under direct contract and as a supplier. Supported aircraft range from Airbus helicopters operated by the French Gendarmerie to training airplanes manufactured by Cirrus Aircraft and Grob Aircraft.
The facility houses specialized workshops for composite airframe repair, painting, welding, landing gear hydraulics, battery overhaul, and Level 2 non-destructive testing.
Legacy fleet support and regional investment
A primary function of the new hub is maintaining the global fleet of approximately 3,000 legacy general aviation and training aircraft produced by SOCATA, Daher Aircraft’s predecessor. The center will provide spare parts supply, repair services, and replacement part manufacturing for the SOCATA TB and Rallye aircraft families under the company’s Part 21J Design Organization Approval.
Local government authorities, specifically the Communauté des Communes de Haute Saintonge, spearheaded the construction of the facility. The project was initiated under former president Claude Belot and inaugurated with current president and Jonzac mayor Christophe Cabri in attendance.
“This inauguration marks another important step in Daher Aircraft’s commitment to further strengthening our global support network and the comprehensive services it provides,”
said Nicolas Chabbert, CEO of Daher Aircraft. He credited the local government’s support as instrumental in completing the project.
The operation currently employs 32 personnel who transferred from the former Merpins site. Daher Aircraft projects the workforce will increase to approximately 40 employees by the end of 2026.
AirPro News analysis
The relocation to Jonzac-Neulles Airport represents a logical infrastructure upgrade for Daher Aircraft. By securing direct runway access, the company eliminates the logistical friction of transporting aircraft components over land for overhaul and opens the door to fly-in maintenance services. We view this as a strategic consolidation that protects Daher’s lucrative legacy support business while positioning the facility to capture third-party maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) contracts for other general aviation manufacturers.
Sources: Daher Aircraft
Photo Credit: Daher Aircraft
MRO & Manufacturing
Honeywell Wins $249M Army Contract for CH-47 Chinook Engine MRO
Honeywell Aerospace secures a $249M U.S. Army contract to overhaul T55-GA-714A engines for the CH-47 Chinook fleet through May 2029.
Honeywell Aerospace has secured a $249 million contract from the U.S. Army to provide repair and overhaul services for the T55-GA-714A turboshaft engines powering the Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter fleet.
The three-year Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) agreement, announced in a June 2026 press release, ensures a continuous supply of serviceable powerplants for the military through May 2029. The U.S. Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal officially awarded the Contracts on May 21, 2026.
Commercial processes drive military maintenance efficiency
Maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) work will take place at Honeywell’s aerospace headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona. The company is applying commercial aviation maintenance methodologies to its military engine overhaul program to increase throughput and reduce turnaround times.
Brian Laughton, Senior Director and Site Leader of the Phoenix repair facility, stated that the T55 line utilizes the same processes applied to the company’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified lines for business jet turbofan engines.
Capitalizing on these proven commercial processes has enabled us to double our capacity in the facility and reduce cycle time to ensure we are meeting delivery commitments to our customers.
Legacy and evolution of the T55 engine program
The T55 engine originally entered service in 1961. Over the past six decades, Honeywell has manufactured more than 6,000 T55 engines, accumulating approximately 12 million flight hours across the CH-47 and MH-47 variants.
The powerplant has undergone significant upgrades since its introduction. The current T55-GA-714A variant produces approximately 5,000 shaft horsepower, representing a threefold increase in output compared to the original 1960s design. The engine currently supports the U.S. Army and more than 15 international military operators.
Dave Marinick, President of Engines & Power Systems at Honeywell Aerospace, noted the company’s long-term commitment to the platform, stating that Honeywell looks forward to continuing its support for the engine program for decades to come.
AirPro News analysis
We observe that cross-pollinating commercial FAA-certified maintenance practices into military depot-level work is becoming a critical strategy for aerospace Manufacturers. By doubling facility capacity without necessarily expanding the physical footprint, Honeywell is addressing the persistent supply chain and turnaround time bottlenecks that have challenged military readiness in recent years. The $249 million valuation for a three-year period highlights the intense operational tempo and heavy utilization of the global Chinook fleet.
Sources: Honeywell Aerospace
Photo Credit: Boeing
-
Aircraft Orders & Deliveries12 hours agoAerCap Orders 15 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners at Farnborough 2026
-
Aircraft Orders & Deliveries6 hours agoRiyadh Air Orders 31 A350-1000s and 67 Boeing 787s
-
Aircraft Orders & Deliveries13 hours agoSMBC Aviation Capital Orders 100 Boeing 737 MAX at Farnborough
-
Aircraft Orders & Deliveries9 hours agoPhilippine Airlines Orders Up to 20 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners
-
Commercial Aviation7 hours agoIndiGo Signs Record 1000 LEAP-1A Engine MoU with CFM