Air India Engineering Services (AIESL) has entered a strategic partnership deal with SpiceJet to repair and maintenance the latter’s Boeing 737 aircraft.

AIESL’s repair and overhaul (MRO) facility located in Nagpur's Mihan SEZ will execute the deal.

Equipped with electrically operated doors, the facility’s two hangars can each house a wide-body aircraft or three narrow body aircraft.

"Air India's MRO will reduce our dependence on foreign ones."

Built by Boeing under an aircraft purchase deal signed in 2005, the Nagpur MRO facility has been transferred to Air India in 2014.

Air India Engineering Services CEO H R Jagannath was quoted by The Times of India as saying:  "SpiceJet was keen to have a strategic partnership with us for maintainance/repair of over 100 Boeing 737 aircraft in our MRO facilites in Nagpur and other places."

However, the Nagpur MRO facility has not received India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation certification for C-checks on Boeing 737.

Jagannath stated that the company, which currently has MRO facilities in Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram and other locations, would soon get the approval.

AIESL also has MRO contracts with Jet Airways and GoAir.

SpiceJet currently has a fleet of 42 aircraft and will include more than 100 aircraft over the coming years.

SpiceJet engineering and maintenance head Arun Kashyap said: "Air India's MRO will reduce our dependence on foreign ones.

“We'll save 20%-25% in MRO checks."

The newly signed deal does not include engine overhaul houses, reported The Hindu Business Line.