Bengaluru/IBNS: The Air India Group on Wednesday (Sept 4) officially commenced the construction of a major Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility, which is set to be built on a 35-acre site at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru with an initial investment of Rs 1,400 crore.
The MRO facility will become a central hub for aircraft maintenance for Air India group airlines as the airline modernizes its fleet and broadens its global reach.
According to a press release from the Air India Group, the groundbreaking event was graced by Gunjan Krishna, Commissioner for Industrial Development and Director of the Department of Industries and Commerce, Government of Karnataka; Hari Marar, Managing Director and CEO of Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL); Chin Yau Seng, CEO of SIA Engineering Company; and other senior leaders from Air India.
The MRO facility in Bengaluru is expected to generate over 1,200 new jobs for skilled aviation engineers and support more than 200 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Karnataka through an improved supply chain, Air India said in the press release.
The Tata Group-owned airline said this development will contribute to a robust MRO ecosystem in Karnataka and support Air Indias ambition to make Bengaluru a key hub with enhanced global connectivity.
The new MRO facility will feature a state-of-the-art hangar capable of accommodating both wide-body and narrow-body aircraft for base maintenance under one roof, the press release said, adding that future expansions will include additional hangars and a dedicated paint hangar.
Air India said the new MRO will set a new benchmark in aviation maintenance with advanced aircraft maintenance technologies such as overhead teleplatforms, cranes, universal docking systems, and Indias largest vertical lift hangar doors.
The Bengaluru MRO, along with the expansion of Air Indias line maintenance facilities across its network and the recently updated wide-body hangar in Mumbai, will enhance the airlines self-reliance in fleet maintenance starting in 2025, the press release said.
Air India also plans to build a new wide-body hangar in Delhi for line maintenance, fostering a comprehensive maintenance ecosystem at major airports, it added.
Air India is securing CAR-147 approval for its training academy and plans to open a Basic Maintenance Training Organisation (BMTO) in Bengaluru next year to ensure a steady supply of trained and type-rated personnel, the company said.
