SINGAPORE—Singapore Airlines Engineering Company (SIAEC) has been selected by Air India to be its strategic partner for the development of the airline’s base maintenance (BM) facilities in Bangalore, India.
In a statement, SIAEC said it will work with Air India on the “planning, construction, development and operationalization” of the facility.
Slated to open in 2026, the BM facilities will have widebody and narrowbody hangars as well as associated repair shops to support the flag-carrier’s current fleet and future aircraft.
SIAEC also provides line and base maintenance for Air India, as well as a 12-year Inventory Technical Management contract for the carrier’s Airbus A320s.
Air India is in the process of a massive fleet renewal campaign. The Aviation Week Network Fleet Discovery database shows the Star Alliance member now has 417 aircraft on order, including 213 A320 family aircraft, 34 A350-900s, 140 Boeing 737 MAXs, 20 787-9s, and 10 777-9s.
“The collaboration with SIA Engineering Company will not only help Air India become more self-reliant for the maintenance of its own fleet, but it also reiterates our commitment to strengthen India’s aviation infrastructure by boosting the growth of the country’s MRO industry,” Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson said.
The partnership comes as SIAEC announced a fiscal 2023/2024 net profit of S$97.1 million ($71.7 million), a 46.2% year-over-year improvement. Line maintenance activities at Changi increased 39.1% year-over-year, including heavy checks which increased from 89 to 84 as more aircraft returned to operations.
SIAEC is optimistic about a healthy demand for MRO services, however the company has flagged a “tight labor market, supply chain issues, and inflation” as key short-term concerns.
