Assembly and method for handling an aircraft propulsion unit

A method for handling a propulsion unit, said propulsion unit comprising a nacelle comprising an air inlet and an aircraft turbojet engine, including a fan casing, on which said air inlet of said nacelle is attached, said method comprising:

• covering at least a half-circumference of an outer wall of the air inlet of the nacelle with a handling envelope of a handling assembly, wherein the handling assembly comprises the handling envelope covering at least the half-circumference of the outer wall of the air inlet of the nacelle, when said propulsion unit is mounted on said handling assembly, and at least two interfaces for fastening slings, said slings being configured to be connected to a hoisting system external to said handling assembly;
• positioning the at least two interfaces of the handling assembly for fastening the slings on the handling envelope;
• connecting the at least two interfaces for fastening said slings to the hoisting system external to said handling assembly by said slings;
• inflating an inflatable flexible element of the handling assembly inside an inner space defined by the inner wall of the air inlet of the nacelle until said inflatable flexible element comes into contact at least with the inner wall of the air inlet of the nacelle prior to covering at least the half-circumference of the outer wall of the air inlet of the nacelle with the handling envelope;
• and
• detaching said air inlet from the fan casing of the aircraft turbojet engine.