Sunaero-Hélitest Tracks Kerosene Leaks

The story of Sunaero-Hélitest begins in 1992 when Bruno Comoglio, a general engineer and one of the company’s three main partners, invented a clever system for polymerizing the sealant of cockpits, catching the attention of the General Directorate of Civil Aviation. Since then, the small group has developed a dozen patents related to the ultra-fast detection and treatment of fuel leaks affecting aircraft and is set to file two more patents in 2012. The equipment designed by the company uses helium to search for kerosene leaks, the second leading cause of aircraft grounding after engine failures. The stakes are high: an Airbus grounded represents a loss of €120,000 per day. « Our unique technology reduces downtime by a factor of 10. It eliminates the loss of kerosene because, once repairs are completed, checks are done with the same tracer gas. Traditional manual methods require filling the tank to ensure there are no more leaks. If problems persist, it has to be emptied, » argues Thierry Regond, vice president of the SME based in Brignais, near Lyon. It costs €296,000 to fill an A380.

With these competitive advantages, the group of 50 employees posted a 17% increase in consolidated revenue to €7 million last year, with more than 70% from exports. It performs more than half of its sales in the United States through its subsidiary Aerowing. The company had to manufacture locally to gain approval from the Pentagon and enter the US Airforce and Boeing. « Our production there is fully integrated because we are cautious, » explains the manager, while in France, he relies on a network of about fifteen local partners, mainly from the Lyon region.

Expanding Target Sectors

A supplier to Air France Industrie, the Clermont-Ferrand Air Force, Dassault, Airbus, many Gulf airlines (Qatar Airways, Kuwait Airways, Emirates), Jordan Airlines, and Lufthansa Technik Philippines, Sunaero plans to set up in Singapore in the second half of the year. This is expected to increase activity with new clients by 35% to 40%. In parallel, and to better capitalize on its R&D efforts, which account for 15% of its revenue, the company established an entity called Easy Link in July 2010 to market its products to industries targeting the energy production and transportation, chemical, and pharmaceutical sectors. This field is much more competitive, « but, » says Thierry Regond, « we are the only ones with a hydrogen detector meeting the Atex standard, which can be used in confined areas. »

Competitive Advantage

Sunaero bets on the speed and ingenuity of its processes, which do not involve filling the aircraft’s tank to check for leaks. In eight hours, the plane is ready to fly again.

Marie-Annick Dépagneux – CORRESPONDENT IN LYON