Scindia and Gadkari Inaugurate Mihan MRO Two Years After Commencement

AAR-Indamer Technics Private Ltd, an aircraft maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) depot located at Mihan-SEZ, achieved a significant milestone with its formal inauguration on Friday, two years after commencing commercial operations. Prajay Patel, heading the facility and son of former Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, presided over the event, attended by Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari.

The inauguration also coincided with the C-check of the 100th aircraft belonging to Indigo Airlines at the Mihan-SEZ facility. Praful Patel, addressing the gathering, urged Minister Scindia to advance the development of Nagpur airport, emphasizing that the transfer of the airport to the state government for further development faced delays during his tenure as the Civil Aviation Minister due to political reasons.

AAR-Indamer Technics, a joint venture between the US-based AAR Corp and India's Indamer, recently announced a collaboration for helicopter maintenance with Airbus. This MRO facility, the second at Mihan, operates adjacent to a facility managed by AIESL, an arm of the former Air India, which was previously owned by Boeing.

Prajay Patel, taking charge of Indamer as a going concern, clarified that his father holds no shares in the venture, emphasizing that it is his son's initiative. Prajay Patel highlighted the achievement of conducting C-checks for 100 aircraft in a little over two years and expressed optimism about the facility attracting foreign aircraft for maintenance. He revealed that AAR-Indamer has obtained clearance from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, with potential orders expected in 2024.

The Mihan-SEZ MRO facility primarily serves Indigo Airlines, and the clearance from the Philippines aviation body opens avenues for international collaboration. Prajay Patel outlined expansion plans, intending to construct six additional hangars, bringing the total to ten.

Former Minister Praful Patel acknowledged Nitin Gadkari's advice regarding the airport's transfer and expressed regret for not acting on it sooner. The Nagpur airport, now under the Maharashtra government's administration, is operated by Mihan India Limited, a joint venture between the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the state government.

ET