Air India’s fleet structure is lots different today than what it was just a few years ago. Several of its planes, each widebody and narrowbody, were gathering dust at airports because the corporate didn’t have enough funds to get the parts needed to fly them again.
With the Tatas in the image, the funding issue was resolved, and the planes were swiftly given a brand new lease on life. However the airline’s CEO recently told at an event just how much was required to make the airline’s grounded Dreamliners airworthy again.
Hundreds of parts were needed
On the IATA AGM in Istanbul, Air India’s Chief Executive Officer Campbell Wilson spoke concerning the challenges of getting the carrier’s grounded Boeing 787 fleet back within the air. His answer was in response to a matter concerning the current supply-chain issues, and he explained what number of spare parts were required to make Air India’s several 787s airworthy again, adding,
There have been 30,000 spare parts we wanted to acquire to get these aircraft up and running.
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Air India’s aircraft saw significant neglect when it was a state-run carrier. Mounting debt and poor funds meant that its network was affected on account of its grounded fleet. The planes that were flying also had substandard cabins, with passengers often complaining of poor in-flight experience, especially on long-haul flights.
But that’s changing now. Not only will the airline have 70 latest aircraft by March next 12 months, but a lot of its planes will even have refurbished interiors or be within the technique of being retrofitted. Air India has put aside $400 million to enhance the structural conditions of its planes, and the older aircraft may have their interiors completely removed and replaced with latest ones. The plan is that by mid-2025, all of Air India’s twin-aisle planes will offer latest cabins with onboard WiFi.
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Constructing MRO capabilities
The necessity for reliable and efficient MRO capabilities can be not lost on Air India. Wilson says that they should have a bit more capability in-house. The airline uses Air India Engineering Services Ltd (AIESL) for its maintenance needs and has also built its own engineering capabilities since becoming a personal player.
The carrier also reached an agreement to establish a brand new Engineering Warehouse near Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL). As per the plan, the power, which can be greater than 55,000 square feet, is anticipated to be operational in the approaching days.
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Moreover, additionally it is keen on acquiring the government-owned (AIESL). Industry sources say that a majority of Air India’s engineering needs are fulfilled by AIESL, and acquiring the MRO company as a part of developing Air India’s in-house engineering capabilities looks like idea.
In reality, the airline could partner with Lufthansa Technik and Air France-KLM’s engineering department to bid for AIESL. Singapore Airlines will even likely join the consortium through SIA Engineering Company Limited.
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