Airbus in talks with HAL and Indian for MRO facility

New Delhi: Airbus Industries has held talks with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), and the domestic carrier Indian, for setting up a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in India. The global major said that a final decision, as to who it will eventually settle for as a partner, should be announced early next year.

The MRO will be set up as part of the counter-trade agreement that Airbus has agreed to provide as part of its Rs9,490 crore, fifty aircraft sale to Indian. The facility will carry out all repair and maintenance chores on a variety of aircraft that are currently despatched to Dubai or Singapore.

With expanding aircraft fleets, airlines are feeling the need to have MRO facilities within the country. According to industry sources, Bangalore could be in the running for such a facility to be located there, as a vast parcel of land is likely to become available when the existing airport shifts base to Devanhalli by the end of 2007.

In a related development, Indian has also been approached by the Airports Authority of India to partner it in the setting up of an MRO facility at Hyderabad.