Air India has opened its new MRO facility at the Rajiv Gandhi International airport in Hyderabad.

The facility will be operated by its MRO subsidiary Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL), and will have full maintenance capabilities to exclusively serve Air India's fleet of 125 aircraft.

These include base and line maintenance, engineering and technical support, component and material support, engine services, as well as technical training.

Built at a cost of Rs792 million ($13 million), the 9,000 sq metre facility can accommodate up to two narrowbodies, or one widebody, at a time.

The facility was initially scheduled to be completed in 2010, but a lack of funds led to the delay.

“At one point of time it was difficult to construct the facility, as Air India also had financial difficulties. But with the support and motivation from the Indian government and the ministry of civil aviation, we are looking ahead to playing much bigger roles,” says Air India’s chairman and managing director, Rohit Nandan.

Air India has other MRO facilities located in New Delhi and Mumbai, and is expected to begin operations at its Nagpur facility by April next year.

Source: Cirium Dashboard