AIESL eyes Jewar, Navi Mumbai MRO hubs as competition intensifies
₹200–300 crore in the new facilities, even as competition intensifies with airlines and airport operators moving to build captive maintenance bases.Carriers such as Air India, IndiGo and Akasa Air have outlined plans to set up their own MRO infrastructure, including at Bengaluru and Jewar, tightening the competitive landscape AIESL is stepping into.AIESL, originally set up as a wholly owned subsidiary of Air India, was later hived off into AI Assets Holding Co. Ltd following the Tata group’s acquisition of the airline.The company is evaluating a calibrated approach to expansion.
“We are in talks for both Jewar and Navi Mumbai, but we cannot spread ourselves too thin. Investments will be calibrated,” Agarwal told Mint, indicating that final decisions will hinge on traffic visibility and airline commitments at the new airports.AIESL expects to invest ₹100-150 crore per hangar, largely through internal resources, with projects likely to be completed and operationalized within two years of securing approvals and land.
“Ideally, factors like our cash position will also come into play too. So maybe we start with one wide-body hangar at any of these two airports and then take things forward,” Agarwal said.Queries sent to Jewar and Navi Mumbai airports remained unanswered till press time.India’s MRO market, estimated at $1.7 billion in 2021, is projected to cross $4 billion by 2031.
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