Embraer, Air India to set up MRO in Secunderabad

Brazilian aerospace major Embraer has partnered with state-owned Air India to set up a maintenance and repair MRO facility to maintain its brand of private and business jets in the entire Southeast Asian region.

The airline's engineering subsidiary, Air India Engineering Services Limited, has been mandated this task under an initial pact signed recently, airline sources said.

The proposed facility is expected to come up at the Begumpet airport in Secunderabad in the southern state of Telangana, they said.

"Embraer came to us because they are planning to sell 40 aircraft in the region by 2018 and they need to have a maintenance system in place for those planes," said an Air India official.

"AIESL agreed to develop the Begumpet airport for this purpose, provided Embraer declares it as the preferred destination for MRO to all its customers," the official added.

Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL) has the requisite expertise in the fast-growing Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) segment of the aviation sector as it already runs as many as six such facilities across airports in India, including one at Nagpur in Maharashtra in collaboration with US aircraft maker Boeing Inc.

As per the pact, Embraer will provide training as well as 'heavy discounts' to AIESL on tools and equipment.