Airbus may set up Goa MRO facility for EC725 choppers

European aviation major Airbus has chosen Goa to set up a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility for the EC 725 helicopter, provided it wins the over Rs 2,000 crore Coast Guard contract for which it has pitched. The facility, close to the Indian Coast Guard's main center of operations, is planned as part of Airbus' offer to equip the Indian Coast Guard with 14 EC725 for its Twin Engine Heavy Helicopter (TEHH) requirement and the foreseeable future needs for a helicopter of this category by the Indian armed forces, industry sources said.

Asked about their plans, Airbus in a statement said, "We cannot comment on the location of the MRO for the EC725 but it is true that such a facility is envisaged as part of our offer to supply 14 EC725 to the Indian Coast Guard. All 14 EC725 will be integrated and flight-tested at this site."

The Coast Guard had first raised the requirement post 26/11 which exposed the loopholes in its surveillance and interception capabilities. The force currently uses ageing Chetaks as well as indigenous Advanced Light Choppers (ALH) for patrolling, search and rescue and casualty evacuation.