GMR Aero Technic (GAT), the maintenance, repair and overhaul division of GMR Air Cargo and Aerospace Engineering Ltd., has introduced an innovative multi-urpose inflatable hangar for maintenance, engine or landing gear replacement on Tuesday.
The one-bay, narrow body inflatable hangar can take one B737 or A320 series aircraft and this will add to the existing seven bay capacity, enabling GAT to handle 15 to 20 smaller base maintenance checks or four-five end of lease checks per year. The hangar is cost-effective, and saves time and money when compared to building a conventional hangar with a life of up to 15 years.
Made to order
It is available in various sizes and made to order. It can be built in 3-4 months and takes just 1-2 months to disassemble and assemble at another location.
It is formed by low pressure tubes aligned parallel to each other forming a ‘rib-cage’ structure. This woven polyester base cloth with PVC coating hangar is both fire-retardant and water-proof. An automatic control system will be installed in the hangar, to continuously monitor and control operative parameters.
Wind, temperature
The hangar is designed to withstand wind speeds up to 158.4 km/hr and can handle extreme temperatures, from -30 degree Celsius to 70 degree Celsius.
“It will help our MRO division get additional business, support our customers commitments of aircraft operations and redeliveries. Such hangars are already in use in Europe and the Gulf for many years now. We are also looking at adding a couple of more hangars aimed at upgrading to include wide body aircraft,” said GMR Aero Technic CEO Ashok Gopinath.
GMR Aero Technic has completed 570 plus major checks till date and other ad-hoc maintenance work for all domestic airliners and is able to to take up over 100 maintenance checks a year. It is also coming up with a the DGCA and EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) approved, Aircraft Maintenance Engineering School for by the year end and has tied up with Airbus to collaborate in MRO, cargo and airports, a press release informed.
