Nagpur: In a significant milestone for the Air India Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) depot in Nagpur’s Mihan-SEZ, the facility is gearing up to welcome its first foreign aircraft, almost ten years since its inception.
Back in 2015, the MRO facility began its operations in Nagpur with ambitious plans. Now, a Boeing 777 originating from Kuwait is scheduled to touch down at the facility within the next four to five days for a crucial C check procedure.
Originally envisioned as an endeavor led by the US aircraft manufacturer Boeing, this MRO facility was one of the pioneering investments in Nagpur’s Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
This MRO facility was established as part of an offset agreement stemming from the purchase of 111 aircraft for Air India and other Indian airlines.
The impending arrival of the Boeing 777 from Kuwait for a C check is a historic moment, as it represents the first time the MRO will directly serve a foreign airline. The primary mandate for units in the SEZ is the export of goods or services.
Units within an SEZ enjoy tax relief, and this SEZ also hosts another MRO operated by AAR Indamer Technics Private Ltd, primarily catering to Indigo Airlines.
Each SEZ unit is mandated to generate net foreign exchange earnings (NFE) through exports. Originally intended to export aircraft maintenance services to foreign carriers, the MRO project saw a change in hands when Boeing withdrew from it, subsequently transferring it to Air India Engineering Services Ltd (AIESL), a subsidiary of the former Air India.
The establishment of the Boeing MRO was announced as far back as 2005 when it was anticipated that airlines from around the world would choose Nagpur as their maintenance destination, given its strategically advantageous geographical location.
