Air India’s MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) facility in Bengaluru is coming up at an opportune time to help strengthen India’s aviation ecosystem and also to boost the airline’s in-house capabilities to maintain its fleet, said Campbell Wilson, MD & CEO, Air India, on Wednesday.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of the MRO facility at the Kempegowda International Airport, he said this mega MRO facility was part of Air India’s commitment towards building a strong self-reliant aviation ecosystem for India, adding, “This will also help us enhance our in-house capabilities to maintain our fleet. This is a step ahead in our mission to make Air India a world-class airline.”
According to Mr. Wilson, the MRO infrastructure would strengthen base and line maintenance (routine maintenance of aircraft in operation) facilities across the Air India network and achieve self-reliance in fleet maintenance. The facility would also create job opportunities for skilled engineers locally and also ensure the inflow of trained personnel for aircraft maintenance and engineering activities, he added.
The upcoming MRO facility in Bengaluru, expansion of in-housed line maintenance facilities across the network, the recently refurbished wide-body aircraft hangar in Mumbai and a newly proposed wide-body hangar in Delhi to cater to line maintenance requirements are expected to make Air India more self-reliant in the maintenance of its entire fleet from 2025.
Air India, in April this year, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Government of Karnataka to establish an MRO facility in Bengaluru. Air India has also signed an agreement with SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC), a Singapore Airlines company specialising MRO activities, to be its strategic partner for the development of this MRO facility.
Speaking on the occasion, Gunjan Krishna, Commissioner for Industrial Development and Director, Department of Industries & Commerce, said, “This is not only a milestone for Indian aviation, which is growing at a rapid pace, but also for Karnataka, which is taking a lead in the aviation sector with Bengaluru set to emerge as an important global aviation hub in the coming years.”
Hari Marar, Managing Director and CEO of Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), said, “As we work towards developing the airport into a major aviation hub, this marks an important step towards strengthening the fleet maintenance capabilities and infrastructure offering.”
Once completed, the MRO is expected to generate over 1,200 direct jobs for skilled aviation engineers in India, and support over 200 SMEs in Karnataka through an enhanced supply chain. The facility is also expected to create a large number of indirect employment opportunities and strengthen the MRO ecosystem in Karnataka.
According to the airline, the upcoming MRO will feature a mega hangar to accommodate wide-body and narrow-body aircraft under a single roof for base maintenance. The facility’s capacity will be further expanded to include additional hangars for servicing more aircraft, including a paint hangar. Equipped with the latest aircraft maintenance technology, including overhead tele platforms, cranes, universal docking systems, and the largest vertical lift hangar doors in the country, this MRO facility will be setting a new standard in aviation maintenance at par with any MRO in the world.
Published - September 05, 2024 01:56 am IST
