Airworks interested in setting up MRO at Mihan

Nagpur: After Boeing’s maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) depot built for Air India, another company is keen to take up land in Mihan. Airworks, a Gurgaon-based company with having an MRO at Hossur in Karnataka, sent a team to Mihan last week. Sources in Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) said the Airworks team had shown interest in leasing around 20 acres land.
Further talks will be held before the company takes a final decision, said a source in MADC.Established in 1951, Airworks has a tie-up with Airbus though it can service other aircraft too. Airworks was looking for land to expand its operations and Nagpur is one of the options, the source said.
It appears Mihan-SEZ may emerge as a hub for aircraft maintenance industry though so far the only MRO operational in the complex is that of Air India. Originally supposed to be run by Boeing that supplied the aircraft to the national carrier, it is now operated by Air India itself. MRO is catering to on an average one aircraft per month. The services are at present limited to Air India’s own aircraft of Boeing make. There are plans to get licence to service Airbus’ planes too. Air India is also planning to set up a landing gear workshop in Mihan.
Other MROs allotted land in the SEZ are Max Aerospace, Dukes Aviation and Indmaar. Max Aerospace has now changed its plans from an MRO to an engine workshop, said a MADC source. There has not been much progress by other companies.
E-wallet operator Paytm is also in talks with MADC for acquiring land in Mihan. This proposal is in an initial stage. Paytm wants to set up a data centre in Nagpur that may be a key unit for its operations. A technology intensive set up, it may not create huge jobs initially employing over 100. Paytm finds Nagpur a suitable place for hiring the kind of workforce it needs, said the source.
Among other investors, MADC plans to give extension to 10 of the companies it had sent show cause notices for not starting their projects. The notices were sent to 19 companies of which 10 showed interest in reviving their plans while others were not keen. Among those who had shown willingness include DLF, Ambuja Realty, and RMZ. Decision to give extension may be taken in the next board meeting of MADC, the source said.
In a Nutshell
* Airworks has a tie-up with Airbus
* This may be fifth MRO to get land in Mihan
* So far only Air India’s MRO has come up
* Paytm also interested in land for a data centre