Boeing signs MRO with Air India after 3 years
By siliconindia   |   Tuesday, 03 February 2009, 00:00 IST
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Nagpur: The U.S. based aircraft manufacturer Boeing has signed an agreement for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility with Air India and Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC). The $100 million facility, the idea of which was outlined by the company in 2006, will be finally set up in the Nagpur Special Economic Zone. The facility, which will be world's second MRO of the firm, after the facility in Shanghai, China. is a joint venture between Boeing and national carrier Air India, while MADC, a government agency, has provided the land. Boeing's Vice-President (sales) Dinesh Keskar said that the deal should put to rest all speculations about the Boeing MRO at Nagpur. "We have finally signed the necessary papers to live up to the promise made in 2006 that Boeing will have its world's second MRO with Air India as partner in the city. By end of the current fiscal, Boeing will float tenders for constructing hangars which will accommodate two wide-bodied or four medium-bodied aircraft for maintenance and repairs," he said. The lack of progress of the proposed MRO, even after the announcement to this regard were made by the Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel and Vice Chairman and Managing Director of MADC R C Sinha in 2006, led to rumors about Boeing having abandoned the project. As per the agreement, the 99-year lease is for 50 acres of land located adjacent to the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport under the prestigious Multi-modal International Passenger and Cargo Hub, Nagpur project. The company had zeroed on the tier-II city due to the availability of ample manpower and land. Talking about Air India's partnership, Keskar said the government-owned airline has placed big orders and already had a large fleet of Boeing aircraft which require periodical maintenance. The new aircraft being inducted may not require any check for at least two years but in due course when needed, Air India will send these planes to the MRO, he said. "We have asked the MADC, which is developing the cargo hub, to construct the taxi runway to be used by Boeing for positioning aircraft in the hangars. The runway should also be ready by the time MRO construction is completed."

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