The Air India Group has commenced the construction of a new multi-bay Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Bengaluru. The event was marked by a special ceremony attended by airline executives and local dignitaries at Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) on September 4, 2024.
The start of work on the new facility comes as the airline gears up to handle more aircraft maintenance in-house and to become more self-sufficient as it expands and modernizes over the coming years. The new MRO center is being built on a 35-acre site at the airport and it is envisaged will become an important maintenance hub for the maintenance of Air India Group airlines’ aircraft, including those currently by fellow Tata-owned airline, Vistara, following the merger of the carriers later in 2024.
Earlier in 2024, Air India signed an agreement with SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC) to be its strategic partner for the development of the new Bengaluru facility. Once completed, the MRO is expected to generate over 1,200 new job opportunities for skilled aviation engineers in India and support over 200 SMEs in the Karnataka region through enhanced supply chain opportunities.
According to a statement issued by the airline, the new MRO will feature a ‘mega hangar’ to accommodate widebody and narrowbody 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,” said the statement.
Additionally, the company has also recently re-opened its refurbished wide-body aircraft hangar in Mumbai (BOM) and plans to build a new wide-body hangar in Delhi to cater to line maintenance requirements. This will help develop a “complete maintenance ecosystem at all major airports”, according to the carrier.
The investment in a new Bengaluru maintenance center will extend beyond simply building a hangar, according to the company. The carrier is investing heavily in the training and certification of line engineers to work on its fleet as different aircraft types visit the new facility in the coming years.
Air India plans to open a Basic Maintenance Training Organisation (BMTO) in 2025 in Bengaluru to ensure the continuous inflow of trained personnel for aircraft maintenance and engineering activities. According to the carrier, this will create opportunities for engineering students to receive training to become type-rated engineers for certification.
The company will additionally seek approval for a CAR-147 accreditation for its training academy which will expedite the training of new engineers to enter the maintenance teams at the new MRO center when construction is completed.
“It is heartening to see the quick turnaround that Air India has made in starting work for the MRO,” said Gunjan Krishna, Commissioner for Industrial Development and Director, Department of Industries and Commerce, Government of Karnataka. “This is not only a milestone for Indian aviation, which is growing at a rapid pace, but also for the state of 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.”
“India’s aviation sector is on a growth trajectory and Air India is playing a leading role in this,” said Campbell Wilson, CEO of Air India. “The Bengaluru MRO facility is coming up at an opportune time to help strengthen India’s aviation ecosystem while enhancing our in-house capabilities to maintain our fleet. This is a step ahead in our mission to make Air India a world-class airline.”