AIESL eyeing enterprise offers from overseas carriers

Authorities-owned AI Engineering Companies Ltd (AIESL) is in discussions with overseas carriers to hold out upkeep checks on their plane at its amenities. AIESL was carved out as a subsidiary of Air India a decade in the past to supply engineering providers to the nationwide provider. Even now, over 50 per cent of its enterprise comes from servicing Air India’s plane, and the remaining from defence plane, and different home and overseas airways.

With Air India growing its personal in home plane upkeep capabilities, AIESL has stepped up efforts to draw new long-term enterprise.

• Learn: AI Engineering Companies in talks with 4 overseas airways for MRO works

“We’re in dialogue with overseas carriers and may be capable to conclude some contracts in a few months,” stated AIESL chief govt officer Sharad Agarwal. AIESL can also be enhancing its capabilities. Lately, it secured approvals to hold out checks on Boeing 737 Max plane at its amenities in Thiruvanathaputaram and Kolkata. Recent hiring is being carried out, and over 500 technicians have been recruited prior to now six to eight months, he added.

Final 12 months, AIESL carried out heavy upkeep checks on 10 Kuwait Airways Boeing 777 at its Mumbai and Nagpur upkeep restore overhaul items. These have been the primary heavy checks carried out for a overseas airline since formation of the corporate.

“AIESL’s annual income for previous two years has been round ₹2,000 crore. We anticipate to finish FY24 with an analogous turnover,” stated Agarwal. On Monday, Air India signed a memorandum of understanding with Bangalore Worldwide Airport Ltd for growing MRO amenities. These will embody hangars for each slender physique and large physique plane for upkeep work, together with heavy structural checks. It may take 18-24 months for the airline to assemble and operationalise the brand new facility.

Plane order

Final 12 months, Air India introduced an order for 470 Airbus and Boeing plane. Air India growing its personal engineering capabilities is logical, given its huge plane order. The present agreements which require Air India to depend on AIESL for upkeep are set to lapse by 12 months finish. AIESL itself could also be placed on the block subsequent fiscal as part of disinvestment train.

Thus, Air India has already began finishing up routine upkeep on its newly inducted Airbus A350 plane after securing regulatory approvals. Upkeep of different plane remains to be being carried out by AIESL

Final October, Air India additionally introduced commissioning of an built-in engineering warehouse at Delhi airport. The warehouse unfold over 54,000 sq. ft can retailer one million spare elements, and can assist in fast decision of points and sustaining on time efficiency, the airline had stated.