Maintenance

Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) and US maintenance, repair and overhaul firm Timco Aviation Services have signed a joint venture agreement to establish an MRO firm that will work on narrowbodies for airlines in India and abroad.

Timco says in a statement "the parties have fully ratified their joint venture relationship and are assessing ground breaking" schedules.

"The partners plan to have state-of-the-art airframe MRO facilities at HAL's Bangalore airport and manufacturing complex."

It will "focus on providing scheduled C-checks and heavy maintenance services for" local and overseas operators of Airbus and Boeing narrowbodies.

HAL already manufactures aircraft, some under licence, and handles maintenance on military and civil aircraft. Timco, meanwhile, is an MRO firm based in North Carolina.

The two are teaming up at a time when Indian carriers are wanting to have MRO work done in India rather than having the added expense of sending aircraft overseas.