FARNBOROUGH—Flag carrier Air India’s planned maintenance operation will initially focus on servicing the group’s fleet but it could eventually look at the possibility of servicing third-party operators.
Earlier this year, Air India announced plans to establish its base maintenance facility in Bengaluru, southern India in partnership with Singapore-based SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC) separate from its former MRO division, AI Engineering Services (AIESL). “We’re breaking ground imminently and will look to have that operational by the end of 2025,” said Campbell Wilson, CEO of Air India, who spoke at a media briefing held at the Farnborough Airshow last week.
Campbell envisages the operation conducting base maintenance initially for Air India's narrowbody and widebody fleets, but this could eventually be expanded to service third-party customers. “As we become comfortable with our own capabilities to the extent there’s spare capacity, then yes, third-party business is something that we will pursue," he said. "But principally it will be about servicing the Air India fleet first and foremost.”
AIESL was formerly the MRO arm of Air India, but unlike the Tata-backed airline, was not privatized as part of the divestment process in 2021 and remains government-owned. “As a consequence, while we’re contractually obliged to use them for a while, they [AI Engineering] haven’t changed trajectory in the sense that the airline has. There are still a lot of government processes, practices and still a lack of investment," said Wilson.
According to Wilson, Air India is in the process of in-housing its line maintenance, with much of the work performed by AIESL. “We’re building up our in-house capability so that we are doing line maintenance,” he added. Wilson does not see an immediate challenge in relation to slot availability for the airline's fleet—it has managed to get the maintenance slots it needs for its ongoing fleet retrofit program for 2025.
Air India's fleet is expected to grow substantially following last year’s huge firm order for 470 new Boeing and Airbus aircraft, including 400 narrowbodies and 70 widebodies.
Wilson noted that Air India is also readying training capabilities in anticipation of its growing fleet. The airline plans to build a new training institute in Amravati, Maharashtra in South India, which is expected to be open by the first quarter of 2026.
