Trivandrum: AIESL, formerly Air India (AI) Engineering Services Limited became the first maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) provider in the Indian subcontinent to conduct heavy checks on a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. AIESL recently commenced a 36-month heavy check on a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft operated by SpiceJet at its Trivandrum facility. With this AIESL has achieved a significant milestone.
Emphasising that this accomplishment underscores AIESL’s unwavering commitment to aviation safety and their prominent position in the industry, Anil Kumar Kapoor, the Executive Director at AIESL noted that AIESL’s Trivandrum facility currently holds approvals for servicing the Boeing 737 MAX from both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Actively working to secure approval from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the MRO provider AIESL anticipates receiving EASA’s approval for the facility by the end of the year. Once approved, they can offer a comprehensive range of maintenance services to domestic and international customers. An audit team from EASA is scheduled to visit the facility in October to assess and evaluate its capabilities.
Established approximately a decade ago, AIESL’s Trivandrum facility’s primary focus initially centred on the maintenance of Air India Express aircraft. However, the facility is now preparing for an influx of foreign aircraft in the upcoming months.
Mentioning that they have received inquiries from several airlines regarding Airbus A320 lease-return checks, Prashant Gosavi, General Manager and Chief Maintenance Manager at AIESL’s Trivandrum facility said that
nevertheless, these checks are pending EASA approval. Once the approval is granted, with multiple airlines expressing interest, he anticipated that a significant demand for checks will come through. He highlighted the remarkable growth of the Trivandrum MRO facility within the AIESL group, particularly in the last four to five years, due to including aircraft from Air India, SpiceJet (SG), and Vistara (UK).
Anil Kumar Kapoor, Executive Director at AIESL, expressed the team’s enthusiasm for conducting the heavy check. Currently, the facility manages maintenance for three major airlines: Air India Express, Air India, and SpiceJet.
AIESL’s Nagpur facility achieved a significant milestone by recently including its first foreign aircraft for heavy maintenance, signifying a noteworthy accomplishment for the company. Meanwhile, the Mumbai facility is preparing to welcome aircraft from Qatar Airways (QR) and Kuwait Airways (KU) in the upcoming week for base maintenance services. As part of its expansion efforts, AIESL is in the process of recruiting approximately 1,000 maintenance technicians and engineers over the next few weeks. Anil Kumar Kapoor stated that this expansion aims to extend its presence beyond domestic carriers and into the global market.
