Central India’s aviation ecosystem has previously suffered from a lack of proximity to aircraft maintenance services, with most of the country’s MRO infrastructure focused on cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, but a new MRO facility at Raja Bhoj Airport should help the region become a more key aviation maintenance center.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has already signaled strong interest in supporting the development, providing the necessary approvals and infrastructure support. Adding a significant boost to Bhopal’s MRO vision, a German-based aviation firm, Inavia Aviation, reportedly plans to invest approximately $18 million to establish the MRO facility.
The project is being developed on a 4-acre plot leased by AAI. Construction is expected to begin shortly, with operations targeted to commence by mid-2025. The facility will initially focus on line and base maintenance for narrowbody aircraft, particularly the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737, with the potential to expand into component repairs and a future teardown facility.
Jet Serve Private Limited, a Gurugram-based company, also has submitted a letter of intent to establish an MRO unit near Raja Bhoj Airport, seeking 20 acres of land for the proposed setup. The proposal is currently under evaluation by the state authorities.
Situated on the outskirts of Bhopal, the airport offers several logistical advantages for MRO operations, including available land, low air traffic congestion and proximity to central India’s aviation traffic corridors.
The airport’s relatively open slot availability also enables quicker turnaround times for aircraft maintenance, especially compared to the heavily saturated airports in metro cities. Until now, the region's airlines and lessors have had to ferry aircraft to far-off locations or even overseas for heavier checks, leading to increased downtime and logistical expenses.
MRO development in Bhopar represents a significant break from India's traditional metro-centric MRO operations model. India can build a more resilient and geographically inclusive MRO network by decentralizing services to under-tapped regions like Madhya Pradesh. As regional connectivity schemes and secondary airports increase, facilities beyond India’s major will become increasingly necessary.
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