AIESL seeks access to aircraft proprietary manuals for high-end component MRO works; eyes strategic partners

New Delhi, Sep 14 (PTI) State-owned AI Engineering Services is looking for strategic partners to have direct access to certain proprietary manuals and technical literature of aircraft to carry out high-end component overhaul activities, according to officials.

AI Engineering Services Ltd (AIESL) was earlier part of Air India, which was sold by the government to the Tata Group in January 2022.

The company, which has more than 5,000 employees, is a leading player in the country's growing maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) segment.

An official told PTI that since the separation of the company from Air India, it no longer has direct access to certain proprietary manuals and updated technical literature for component overhauls.

Such a scenario is posing challenges for AIESL in terms of keeping some shop capabilities fully upgraded and aligned with the latest global standards, the official added.

Against this backdrop, the state-owned company, which aims to increase its annual revenue in the current financial year ending March 2026, is actively exploring various opportunities.

"Getting IP (Intellectual Property) rights for retaining shop capabilities is important, an investment that is costly, but critical for sustaining advanced capabilities. AIESL is open to partnering with strategic partners," the official said.

The company has more than 25 foreign airlines and domestic carriers as customers and is hopeful of increasing the client base.

Also, AIESL is intensifying its outreach to domestic airlines, collaborating with other MROs to share overflow work, and engaging with foreign carriers.

These efforts, the official said, are aimed at maximising the utilisation of its line and base facilities.

AIESL has facilities in Delhi, Nashik, Nagpur, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram.

India is one of the world's fastest-growing civil aviation markets, and domestic carriers have more than 1,400 planes on order. The country's MRO segment is worth around USD 1.8 billion, and there is a significant growth potential as airlines are expanding their fleets.

The official said that many airlines in India find it operationally simpler to channel component servicing through aggregators, who may then forward the work to overseas facilities. Retaining such works in the country will be beneficial in terms of economic and employment aspects.

According to a report on the MRO industry released by government think tank Niti Aayog in October 2022, the increased presence of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in the aftermarket has been a regular occurrence in the MRO business for several years.

"The OEMs' ability to quickly capture market share in the aftermarket is largely due to their control over Intellectual Property (IP) related to training manuals, data design, etc. This adversely affects engine and component manufacturers and poses a serious challenge to the vision of an indigenous MRO industry in India," it had said. PTI RAM BAL BAL