Airlines Seek to Boost Domestic MRO Capabilities as Fleets Expand
ECONOMY & POLICY

Airlines Seek to Boost Domestic MRO Capabilities as Fleets Expand

Indian airlines are seeking to expand their domestic maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities as their fleets grow and access to overseas facilities becomes more difficult. The Indian market for airframes, engines and components is projected to triple to $9.5 bn by 2035, underlining the potential for local MRO providers.

Air India's Senior Vice-President for Engineering and Maintenance, Jeremy Yew, said the airline was assessing how much work could be carried out in-house. He also highlighted the need to strengthen facilities for wide-body aircraft, for which most detailed MRO work is currently completed overseas.

Air India had planned to send some aircraft to facilities in West Asia, but faced difficulties securing alternative capacity after the regional crisis began. Yew said partnerships with independent MRO companies could benefit both sides if commercial terms, quality requirements and safety standards were satisfactory.

Air India has more than 540 aircraft scheduled for delivery in the coming years and expects its MRO facility in Bengaluru to be operational by the end of 2027. IndiGo's Senior Vice-President for Engineering and Maintenance, Parichay Datta, said the airline needed to become more self-reliant because fleet expansion was outpacing the growth of available MRO facilities. He added that partnerships would need to provide suitable commercial and technical capabilities.

Akasa Air's Senior Vice-President for Maintenance and Engineering, Daniel Saldanha, said its MRO facility at Noida airport was expected to be ready in 2028. India's commercial aircraft fleet, currently around 800, is expected to double as airlines add planes to meet rising traffic demand. Officials from GMR Aero Technic, AI Engineering Services, Airworks and Max Aerospace said the expansion would create business opportunities and improve domestic capabilities. Airbus has projected that India's fleet could reach 2,250 aircraft over the next decade, while the MRO market for airframes, engines and components is also expected to triple by 2035.

Indian airlines are seeking to expand their domestic maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities as their fleets grow and access to overseas facilities becomes more difficult. The Indian market for airframes, engines and components is projected to triple to $9.5 bn by 2035, underlining the potential for local MRO providers. Air India's Senior Vice-President for Engineering and Maintenance, Jeremy Yew, said the airline was assessing how much work could be carried out in-house. He also highlighted the need to strengthen facilities for wide-body aircraft, for which most detailed MRO work is currently completed overseas. Air India had planned to send some aircraft to facilities in West Asia, but faced difficulties securing alternative capacity after the regional crisis began. Yew said partnerships with independent MRO companies could benefit both sides if commercial terms, quality requirements and safety standards were satisfactory. Air India has more than 540 aircraft scheduled for delivery in the coming years and expects its MRO facility in Bengaluru to be operational by the end of 2027. IndiGo's Senior Vice-President for Engineering and Maintenance, Parichay Datta, said the airline needed to become more self-reliant because fleet expansion was outpacing the growth of available MRO facilities. He added that partnerships would need to provide suitable commercial and technical capabilities. Akasa Air's Senior Vice-President for Maintenance and Engineering, Daniel Saldanha, said its MRO facility at Noida airport was expected to be ready in 2028. India's commercial aircraft fleet, currently around 800, is expected to double as airlines add planes to meet rising traffic demand. Officials from GMR Aero Technic, AI Engineering Services, Airworks and Max Aerospace said the expansion would create business opportunities and improve domestic capabilities. Airbus has projected that India's fleet could reach 2,250 aircraft over the next decade, while the MRO market for airframes, engines and components is also expected to triple by 2035.

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