Air India inks pact with Spicejet for MRO facility at Mihan

Air India has finally succeeded in roping-in a private airline to use the maintenance repair overhaul (MRO) facility at the SEZ in Mihan here.

An MoU was signed by Air India Engineering Services CEO H R Jagannath and Spicejet vice president Arun Kashyap in the presence of top AI officials here yesterday. With the signing of the agreement, Spicejet will send its aircraft from the fleet of 42 planes to Nagpur MRO in immediate future, Kashyap told reporters during their visit to the MRO.

Kashyap also said Spicejet was in the process of acquiring 100 more aircraft in the days to come. He said the first Spicejet aircraft was expected to roll in for MRO facility within two months. It was already sending its aircraft to GMR, Hyderabad, but now onwards, Spicejet will be using the MRO facility of Air India at Nagpur, he said.

Jagannath said after being formally handed over by aircraft manufacturer major Boeing International on December 29, 2014, the MRO started its maintenance operation from March this year and so far handled eight aircraft, while the ninth aircraft was on the pit.

Spread over 50 acres of land adjacent to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, the Rs 600 crore MRO, which is connected by a 3.5 km taxiway, offers a world class facility. It is carrying out maintenance facility of all types including 'D' check of wide bodied aircraft which is mandatory for an aircraft after flying for 3,000 days.

A team of dedicated engineers and technicians are positioned to carry out a detailed maintenance of Boeing aircraft to make it air worthy. The construction work of the MRO, funded by Boeing, commenced in March 2011 and completed in a record period of 3.5 years. It was finally handed over to Air India on December 29, 2014, and actual operations commenced from August 27 last year.