Air India MRO in Bengaluru will be ready by early 2026, says CEO Wilson

Air India Group's new MRO facility in Bengaluru to be operational by early 2026, hiring 1,200 people.

Air India Group’s new mega MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) facility in Bengaluru will be ready and operational by early CY26, Air India, CEO & MD, Campbell Wilson said.

The MRO facility, to be built at an investment of ₹1,400 crore, would hire 1,200 people, he said while addressing the media here on Wednesday.

MROs usually hire diverse skill sets including avionics systems engineers, testing professionals, technicians, digital trouble-shooters, additive manufacturing experts, professionals with soft skills and also specialists, mechanics and techies with industry-specific expertise.

The upcoming MRO facility, being built on a 35-acre land parcel at the Bengaluru International Airport would become an important hub for Air India Group airlines’ aircraft maintenance operations in the region, especially when the group was transforming to modernise its fleet and expand its domestic and global connectivity, the company said.

Earlier in the day at a ground breaking ceremony for the MRO, Mr. Wilson said, “India’s aviation sector is on a growth trajectory and Air India is playing a leading role in this.’‘

When asked about the status of Air India’s transformation exercise, he said, ‘‘We will, and as we’ve previously said, refit all of the legacy aircraft. The narrow-body refit is well underway and we should have essentially all of the narrow-body aircraft, about 87% of the fleet, completed by June next year.’‘

On the wide-body fleet, he said, Air India was entirely dependent on the supply chain of business and first-class seats, which is a disrupted market at the moment. ‘‘All airlines are facing the challenge of getting access to these improved seats. We will start the retrofit programme [for wide body] next year, but we’re a little bit at the mercy of the seat deliveries,’‘ he added.