Gallery: Asia-Pacific Region Sees MRO Expansion Boom

Air India broke ground earlier this month on a new MRO facility at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport. The facility, which is expected to open by 2026, will focus on airframe maintenance. The airline is working with SIA Engineering Company to plan, construct, develop and operationalize the facilities. 

In July, Comac inaugurated its Xinjiang Customer Service Center. The center will provide MRO services and training to customers in west China. Comac says it will promote the adoption of 50 ARJ21 regional aircraft in Xinjiang within the next three years.

Vietjet Air announced plans in July to establish its own MRO hangar in Vientiane, Laos. The facility will be supported by Vietjet Aviation Academy, which will oversee training of the new local workforce. The airline estimates the new MRO facility will generate 2,500 new jobs.

Pratt & Whitney opened a new MRO customer support center in Bengaluru, India in July. The center will provide services such as spare part management, engine leasing, engine reliability analysis and contract administration. The facility is an expansion of the OEM’s India Digital Capability Center, which was inaugurated in February.

China Eastern Airlines broke ground on a new MRO hangar at Shanghai Pudong Airport this summer. It says the 1.2 million ft.² facility will be able to accommodate nine widebodies simultaneously and will be Asia’s largest aircraft hangar. The airline has invested around $221 million in the project, which is expected to be completed in the first half of 2026.

Thai Airways is building a new CFM International Leap 1A engine shop at Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport to service its incoming Airbus A321neo fleet. The shop is expected to be completed by next June ahead of the airline’s A321neos, which are due to arrive in 2025-26. Thai Airways will also offer services from the facility to other Leap operators.

Asia Digital Engineering received Approved Maintenance Organization certification from Cambodia’s State Secretariat of Civil Aviation in May, paving the way to open its first overseas subsidiary, ADE Cambodia Co Ltd. The joint venture will be headquartered at Phnom Penh International Airport and provide services for AirAsia Cambodia’s Airbus A320s, as well as providing potential services for other airlines in the country.

In May, Dassault Aviation opened a new MRO facility in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The facility, located at Subang Airport, will operate as ExecuJet MRO Services and provide services for Dassault Aviation, Bombardier and Gulfstream aircraft. Dassault is also planning a new MRO facility near the upcoming Delhi Noida International Airport/Jewar International Airport in India, which will service Rafale and Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft.

Korean Air began construction in March on a new aircraft engine maintenance facility in Unbuk, near Incheon International Airport. Korean Air says the more than 1.5 million ft.² facility, expected to be completed in 2027, will be Asia’s largest engine facility. The airline also says the facility will more than triple its annual MRO engine capacity to 360 from 100 powerplants.

Boeing opened its first Indian distribution center in January to tackle the country’s supply chain issues. The 36,000 ft.² facility, opened in collaboration with logistics provider DB Schenker, is located at Kurja, Uttar Pradesh. Boeing hopes the facility will reduce flight cancelations due to maintenance, enable higher fleet utilization, and reduce downtimes and AOGs.

Aircraft interiors specialist Epsilon Aerospace is exploring locations across India for a new composite repair joint venture with Netherlands-based 4Repair. Although the companies have not yet publicly identified a particular city, they say the facility would provide services for complex composite and structural parts, such as thrust reversers, flaps and radomes.