Boeing MRO facility work at Nagpur airport to end by 2012

The much-delayed Boeing Maintenance-Repair-Overhaul (MRO) facility to be raised at the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in Nagpur is likely to start by the end of 2012, as work in this direction has started.

The project, worth $100 million, which Boeing is setting up, will have two hangars to accommodate bulky aircraft like Boeing-777, 747-800.

President of Boeing India Dr Dinesh Keskar and Air India Board Member KM Unni told this to reporters during a press conference today.

They said that roughly five aircraft could be admitted every month at the facility for various maintenance work.

"The L&T has been given the construction work on the facility and the work for it has started without much usual fanfare since it was already delayed, mainly due to the economic slowdown," they said.

"Nagpur has been chosen for the project for its central geographical location, besides its high temperature similar to the West USA, where mercury lies around 44-45 degrees Celsius. These conditions are most favourable for aircraft manufacturing, as they are away from corrosion and sea water contamination," Keskar and Unni said.

"It will be a greenfield project and there will be solar power facility, natural lighting system and rain water harvesting system as part of Boeing's commitment," Keskar added.

The MRO will come up on 50 acres of land and will have two hangars each measuring 100 x100 metres, besides 24,000 sq metres area for the allied work.

He said,"The project is a part of a deal between the Air India and Boeing, in which the former has placed an order for 68 Boeing aeroplanes. The MRO will be second in the world after Shangai in China."

Boeing would deliver the first 787 aircraft in the fourth quarter of 2012 and will deliver the remaining ones in phases, he said.