Page 26 - AAA JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2019 Online Magazine

[ MAINTENANCE REPAIR OVERHAUL ]

India Rising

SENSING INTENSE DEMAND, MRO SERVICE
PROVIDERS AND OEMS ARE SCOUTING TO
ESTABLISH THEIR FACILITIES IN INDIA

Jay Menon

After fighting to survive for more than a decade, it is a high-rise The facility will be built at the premises of the
for the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) businesses in Kempegowda International Airport. IndiGo in
India as growth in aviation sector is accentuating demand for MRO January this year signed a 20-year pact with
facilities. India’s current fleet size and expected fleet growth over Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL),
the next decade represents significant growth potential for MRO which runs the airport, to sub-lease five acres
service providers. Today, Indian carriers have around 400 aircraft for the 13,000 sqm. facility that will be able to
and estimates indicate that the local airlines will receive 1740 air- service two narrow-body aircraft at a time once
craft in the next 20 years. it opens in 2020, IndiGo said. The airline cur-
rently operates an MRO in Delhi. IndiGo, one of
Future Opportunity the biggest customers globally for Airbus, has a
“India’s current civilian MRO market size is estimated to be around fleet of 209 planes comprising 126 A320ceos,
US$700 million. The market is expected to grow at 8 per cent 68 new generation A320neos, 14 ATR turbo-
CAGR for the next 10 years to reach over US$1.4 billion by 2025,” props and one A321neo plane. Building its
says Amber Dubey, Partner and Head of Aerospace and Defence second MRO in India will allow IndiGo to save
at the KPMG. Sensing the intense demand, several MRO service on the high costs incurred on servicing planes
providers and OEMs are scouting to establish their facilities in overseas.
India, and existing major players are upgrading their offerings to
meet the growing demand. The new facility will have support infrastruc-
InterGlobe Aviation Ltd, which operates India’s largest domestic ture, including a Quick Engine Change (QEC)
airline IndiGo, will build its second aircraft MRO centre in Bengaluru shop which allows changing an aircraft engine
to cater to a fast-growing fleet of mostly Airbus SE planes. with the least downtime, as well as warehouse
and engineering offices for repair and mainte-
“AIRBUS IS EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITIES nance. Airbus SAS is also planning an MRO
OF ESTABLISHING AN MRO UNIT IN INDIA” unit in India on the back of its single biggest
order from private low-cost carrier IndiGo for
Dwarakanath Srinivasan, Managing Director of Airbus India 250 Airbus A320 neo single-aisle passenger

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