Bengaluru / New Delhi: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Airbus have inked a deal on November 9 to establish MRO facilities for the A-320 family of aircraft in Nashik, Maharashtra.

HAL in a statement said that this collaboration with the largest European aircraft manufacturing company will strengthen the Make-in-India mission by achieving self-reliance in the aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) industry in India. It also added that the facility will be established and ready for aircraft induction by November 2024 after getting the requisite DGCA approval. In the future, this Nashik facility is expected to be available for the entire Asian region after obtaining EASA approval in partnership with Airbus.

Further, the company added that it intends to establish integrated MRO services in India and seeks to provide commercial airlines with a one-stop MRO solution in “one-of-a-kind” facility in the country. Under the collaboration, Airbus will supply the A320 family tool package and offer specialised consulting services to HAL to establish an MRO facility for A-320 aircraft. The partnership between HAL and Airbus will support the growing demand for MRO services in India and help expand the commercial fleet, especially that of the A-320 aircraft, HAL said in the stock exchange filing.

Saket Chaturvedi, CEO (MiG Complex), HAL said, “HAL wants to establish an integrated MRO hub in the country and provide Airlines with an effective MRO solution. This step by HAL is also aligned to civil-military convergence and the ‘Make-in-India‘ mission of the Government of India.”

Remi Maillard, President & Managing Director, Airbus India and South Asia, emphasised that Airbus is committed to helping with the growth of the aviation ecosystem in India and aiding in developing a strong MRO infrastructure, which is a key element of this ecosystem.

The company statement further said that the HAL and Airbus collaboration envisages a substantial reduction in lead time, improved turnaround time, and reduction in MRO costs, thereby increasing the availability of the fleet for flight operations.