Air Works expands MRO footprint to South Asia

India’s largest independent aviation services & MRO major Air Works, today announced that it has begun offering Line Maintenance services to international carriers from Kathmandu in Nepal. With the launch, Air Works has now expanded its footprint in the SAARC region. The company has collaborated with Kathmandu-based Siris Aircraft Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Pvt. Ltd. (SAMRO) to offer its acclaimed Line maintenance services from Nepal’s biggest international airport – Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu. Siris Aircraft MRO (SAMRO) is part of the siris.aero Group which been in the aviation business in Nepal for over 30 years. The company has been partnering with leading manufacturers and renowned aviation & MRO companies to offer aviation maintenance/ services and support. SAMRO notably, is Nepal’s first private and independent Approved Maintenance Organization (AMO) with a strong presence at the Tribhuvan International Airport. Licensed by the Government of Nepal including the Ministry of Culture, Tourism & Civil Aviation, as well as Ministry of Industry, it holds 145 Approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to undertake technical handling services including Line maintenance, periodic inspection as well as the rectification of minor defects, at the international airport. Commenting on its SAARC expansion, Mr. D Anand Bhaskar, Managing Director & CEO, Air Works Group said, “Since long, our key international customers had been requesting us to expand our services footprint in the region and today, we are extremely happy to have been able to take this first step in association with Siris Aircraft MRO. The development is also well-timed from a market perspective, given the strong revival in air traffic and the enhancement of aviation infrastructure in Nepal. We believe that this launch could lay the foundation for expanding the scope of our current collaboration with Siris to other airports and other operators in Nepal, that could eventually lead to an enhancement in the scope of services beyond the current transit/ daily/ weekly checks.” Under the terms of the collaboration, while SAMRO will liaise with local regulatory authorities and provide technical manpower and infrastructure including equipment & tooling, Air Works will depute certifying staff or Maintenance Engineers, to clear the aircraft, besides undertaking business development. The services will be executed under the Air Works’ Quality system which has been extended to cover the new station. Commenting on the collaboration, Mr. Arun Malla, Executive Chairman, Siris Aircraft MRO said, “We are delighted to collaborate with Air Works – India’s numero uno aviation engineering & maintenance company and MRO brand, acclaimed for its domain expertise, workmanship, and professionalism to offer Line maintenance services from the Tribhuvan international airport. The association will not only expand our market proposition but will also enrich our culture and strengthen our work practices, that will help us to be in sync with global service delivery benchmarks. With Air Works now at Kathmandu, incoming international carriers to the airport can be sure of “flying assured”, underlining the country’s commitment to safety. With burgeoning air traffic, Kathmandu and other emerging airports in Nepal represent a cradle of opportunities and beginning with Line services, we intend to leverage and enlarge our relationship gradually and cover entire country.” Currently, over 30 leading international airlines fly to/ from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) to more than 45 destinations throughout Asia and the Middle East. Despite Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) – Nepal’s 2nd major airport that began international operations last year, Tribhuvan International Airport continues to be the country’s hub for international carriers. As part of the agreement, Air Works would be extending its entire gamut of approvals covering Boeing (737/ 767/ 777/ 787 family), Airbus (319/ 320/ 321/ 330/ 350 family) and ATR 42/ 72 (500/ 600) aircraft to the new station. Interestingly, the new venture has already got a leading Middle eastern airline as its first customer. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Kay Rolland at [email protected]