Air India has appointed SIA Engineering Company to develop its MRO facilities in Bengaluru, India.

Tata Group-owned Air India has appointed Singapore-based SIA Engineering Company Limited (SIAEC) as its strategic partner for the development of Air India’s Base Maintenance facilities at Bengaluru.

In a press statement, Air India says that as part of the partnership, it will work closely with SIAEC on the planning, construction, development and operationalization of Air India’s Base Maintenance facilities in Bengaluru, India.

Projected to be ready in 2026, the facilities will comprise both widebody and narrowbody hangars, including associated repair shops, to support the growing Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) needs of the aircraft fleet in Air India Group, says the airline.

“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,” says Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Air India.

“We are delighted to be able to play a small part in Air India’s amazing transformation journey and look forward to working closely with the Air India team to ensure the success of this project. This appointment marks another significant milestone in the development of the partnership between Air India and SIAEC. Going forward, we hope to have even more opportunities to collaborate with Air India in the MRO space in India,” says Chin Yau Seng, Chief Executive Officer, SIAEC.

The statement adds that Air India had earlier announced setting up a state-of-the-art Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facilities at Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru operated by Bangalore International Airport starting with Airframe Maintenance through the development of widebody and narrowbody aircraft hangars for all checks.