NEW DELHI/ INDIA: Air Works – the nation’s largest independent MRO and aviation services and solutions major, today announced that it has received the European Aviation Safety Agency’s [EASA] Part 145 Approval for its state-of-the-art twin-hangar MRO facility at the Cochin International Airport.
With EASA approval, Air Works will be able to offer full MPD support for the Airbus 320 family (including A318/ A319/ A320/ A321) for Base maintenance [up to and including 120-month inspection for all 4 engine options viz. PW1100G, CFM 56, Leap-1A and IAE V2500], C-Checks, structural and corrosion inspections, as well as undertaking major repairs and modifications for the Airbus 320 aircraft family, in addition to Endof-lease-transitions, bridging checks and engine changes.
Welcoming the approval, Mr. D Anand Bhaskar, Managing Director & CEO, Air Works Group said, “We are excited to enhance our EASA-certified capacity and capabilities which will expand the scale of our operations and support to regional aircraft operators and global lessors. EASAs 145 approval of our Kochi facility was a much-awaited and long-overdue milestone and is a step forward in accelerating indigenous maintenance, complementing the country’s ambition of becoming Atmanirbhar and an MRO hub. I take this occasion to acknowledge the relentless commitment of our Quality team who have been instrumental in securing this approval.”
The location of the Kochi MRO facility [at the Cochin Int’l Airport] is strategic, given that Kochi has been a hub for leading carriers from the Middle East. The EASA 145 approval comes at a time when Air Works recently expanded its operations to Dubai in an endeavor to enhance access to its cost-effective and industryleading workmanship to both international and domestic carriers, reinforcing its position of being India’s most loved MRO. The Kochi facility – commissioned in March 2021 during the pandemic, is already certified by the DGCA. It is also a DGCA-certified facility for Air Works’ Business Aviation (General Aviation) customers for a variety for aircraft.
Commenting on the development, Mr. Mangesh Karyakarte, Chief Sales Officer – Commercial & Defense MRO, Air Works Group said, “With EASA Part 145 approval, we are now uniquely poised to offer flexible maintenance support to our customers from two independent facilities providing end-to-end Engineering & maintenance services. The approval enables us to offer and undertake a comprehensive series of maintenance checks and repairs, ranging from simple to complex ones on A320 aircraft that dominate the narrow body market in India, including the various airworthiness directives (AD) & Supplemental Type Certifications (STC) from time to time.”
He further added, “Over time, I see Kochi becoming a preferred maintenance facility for both domestic as well as incoming carriers from the SAARC, South-East Asia, Middle East and North Africa.”
The twin-hangar MRO facility at Kochi, spread over 50,000 sqm, has been thoughtfully designed and is a completely integrated, independent setup, housing key workshops equipped to undertake structures, interiors, and composites repairs to support timely aircraft maintenance & turnaround. Kochi complements Air Works’ primary facility at Hosur [Tamil Nadu], which incidentally, is India’s first EASA-certified Commercial MRO facility [2009]. In addition to the Airbus320 family, Hosur also offers full MPD support for ATR 42-400/500/72-212A and Boeing 737-600/700/800 and 900.
The consistent and successful renewal of Air Works’ EASA certification for over a decade demonstrates Air Works’ unwavering commitment to its customers towards upholding the highest standards of quality in aviation. The Group also undertakes MRO work for the Indian Défense forces. Having two independent facilities will allow it to spin them into specialized bases offering a comprehensive yet independent scope of services at each location, creating Centres of Excellence. Air Works intends to deepen its capabilities at Kochi by adding Type Approvals for maintenance for the B737NG family.
