INDIAN MRO INDUSTRY Preparing for the New Horizon

The Indian aviation industry is witnessing exponential growth currently and this growth is going to stay for the next decade.

- PULAK SEN

 

 

The total number of aircraft in the fleet of all Indian carriers, including freighters stands at 717 aircraft. The total of Airbus fleet in Indian carriers are 468 and that of Boeing are 151. The largest fleet owner is IndiGo with 342 aircraft and the second largest is the Tata group airline comprising Air India, Air India Express, AirAsia India and Vistara having a total of 252 aircraft.

Apart from the present fleet, Air India has ordered 470 aircraft and IndiGo has ordered 500 aircraft. Air India CEO Cambell Wilson announced that they will induct an aircraft every six days till the end of 2024. Similarly, IndiGo will induct 50 aircraft by the end of 2024.

These facts are really fascinating. But to keep such a large fleet requires huge manpower apart from enhancing aviation infrastructure to cater to this growth. This exponential growth throws open lots of challenges and opportunities to the entire Indian Aviation Industry.

INDIAN GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE

The 339th Report on the 'Action Taken' by the Government to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism & Culture on Demands for Grants (2023-24) of MoCA-furnishing of Action Taken Report. This report was presented to both houses in the Parliament on March 13, 2023. This includes:

 ▸ Import Duty exempted on Special Tools and Equipment for MROS.

► Customs duty waiver that applied to spares only for Airlines extended to MRO. 

► simplified clearance processing of parts.

► 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has been permitted via automatic route for MRO.

► Relaxed restrictions on utilization of duty-free parts from one year to three years.