Hyderabad, the capital of the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, will soon become an integrated hub for aerospace industry with the setting up of advanced engine MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facilities at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here, sources said today.
Business conglomerate GMR, which manages Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, is in talks with major aircraft engine manufacturers to set up engine MRO facilities, they said.
"The Group is in talks with various aircraft engine manufacturers like Pratt & Whitney, CFM International, GE and Rolls-Royce to set up an engine MRO that can also supply spare engines
to aircrafts when they are grounded for repair," sources close to the development told PTI.
If the talks are successful, the city may witness another Rs 500 crore investment from engine makers, they said.
Currently it takes ten days as turnaround time for an aircraft when its engine is sent for service to either Dubai or Singapore in Asian region.
The engine which has to be overhauled or repaired will be replaced with a spare engine initially till the job is completed.
Following these efforts, Jet Airways has recently announced making Hyderabad its main hub, adding 15 new routes.
Meanwhile, the airframe MRO unit which is a joint venture between Malaysian Airlines and GMR, with the Indian firm holding 51 percent stake, will be operational from July, a senior official of the Group said.